Papua New Guinea Centre for Judicial Excellence (PNGCJE) is representing Papua New Guinea at the 12th International Conference on the Training of the Judiciary (IOJT 2026) in Bordeaux, France, highlighting PNGCJE’s growing engagement with the international judicial education community. The PNGCJE delegation is joining judicial leaders, judges, magistrates and judicial educators from around the world to exchange knowledge, explore emerging challenges and innovations in judicial education, and strengthen international partnerships in judicial training and professional development.
The delegation comprises Justice John Carey, Chief Magistrate Mark Pupaka, Deputy Chief Magistrate Clivson Philip, Nicholas Mirou, Deputy Executive Director of the PNG Centre for Judicial Excellence (PNGCJE), Stacey Levakia-Wali, Assistant Director and Program Officer of the Pacific Centre for Judicial Excellence (PCJE), and Vali Kila, Program Officer.
Justice John Carey, Judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea, Executive Director of the PNG Centre for Judicial Excellence (PNGCJE), and Vice President (Pacific) of the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA), is playing a leading role at the conference, chairing a key plenary session on combatting transnational and complex crime and speaking on regional judicial cooperation and judicial education initiatives across the Pacific.
Hosted by the International Organization for Judicial Training (IOJT) and the École Nationale de la Magistrature (ENM), the conference brings together judicial leaders, judges, magistrates, judicial educators and justice sector professionals from more than 78 countries to examine critical issues facing modern judiciaries, including artificial intelligence, transnational crime, judicial ethics and public confidence in justice systems.
Justice Carey is moderating Plenary Session 2: Combatting Transnational and Complex Crime: The Role of Judicial Training Institutes, which explores how judicial education institutions can equip judges to address increasingly sophisticated and cross-border criminal activity.
In his capacity as Vice President (Pacific) of the CMJA and Executive Director of PNGCJE, Justice Carey is also participating as a speaker in Workshop 17: Judicial Networks: Driving Transnational Cooperation from the Ground Up, alongside Stacey Levakia-Wali. Their presentation highlights regional judicial cooperation initiatives in the Pacific and the role of judicial education partnerships in strengthening judicial capacity, judicial independence and professional excellence across the region.
Nicholas Mirou, will also be speaking at Workshop 16: Global Perspectives on Judicial Training: Regional Initiatives and Shared Insights. His presentation will explore the value of regional collaboration among judicial training institutions and the contribution of judicial education to strengthening judicial independence, professional competence and institutional resilience. Mr Mirou’s participation reflects PNGCJE’s growing leadership in judicial education across the Pacific and its commitment to fostering stronger regional partnerships and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Justice Carey said the event provides an important platform for Papua New Guinea and Pacific judicial institutions to contribute to global discussions on judicial education while sharing regional experiences and innovations.
“The challenges confronting judiciaries today transcend national borders. Forums such as the IOJT Conference provide valuable opportunities for judicial leaders and educators to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks, and develop practical strategies that enhance judicial competence, integrity and public confidence in the administration of justice.”
The participation of Papua New Guinea at IOJT 2026 reflects the Judiciary’s ongoing commitment to advancing judicial excellence, strengthening international and regional partnerships, and ensuring that judges and magistrates are equipped to respond effectively to emerging legal and societal challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. The conference also provides an important opportunity for PNGCJE to showcase Papua New Guinea’s contributions to judicial education and strengthen collaboration with judicial training institutions from across the globe.
