Ni-Vanuatu solicitor builds legal expertise in Australian Bar Program

Nov 10, 2025 | News, Sista i Shine | 0

Across the justice system, the ability to prepare and argue a case clearly and effectively is essential to fair outcomes for both victims and accused persons. In courtrooms across the country, lawyers rely on strong preparation and refined advocacy skills to present arguments, support their clients, and ensure that every voice is properly heard before the court.

To strengthen the capabilities of public solicitors, Vanuatu lawyer Linda Bakokoto recently travelled to Melbourne to take part in the Victorian Bar Readers Course, a six-week program focused on building courtroom advocacy and professional legal practice. Supported by the Australian Government, the training also covered essential skills in legal practice management, ethics, and professional responsibility. It aims to promote better decision-making, more efficient proceedings, and greater public confidence in the rule of law.

Ms Bakokoto works as a solicitor at the Office of the Public Solicitor (OPS) and also plays an important role in building the capacity of her colleagues. “I’m responsible for training at the office, and I am also a Victorian Bar Accredited Advocacy Trainer,” she said. “What motivated me was that I can’t deliver a training program on something I’m not knowledgeable in. Advocacy is a skill you can never fully grasp because court rules differ across jurisdictions, and judges have different expectations and styles. You learn as you go from different people.”

Bakokoto’s focus on advocacy is also driven by its impact on the people she represents in court every day. “Having a high level of advocacy skills means our clients are better represented in court,” she said. “You may know your client’s case, but communicating it to the court properly and understanding the court rules and the law of evidence are very important. Advocacy comes back to promoting access to justice because it means you’re representing your client’s interests at a professional level.”

The Victorian Bar Readers Course was held at Melbourne’s Owen Dixon Chambers and brought together 60 participants. Linda’s participation was made possible through support from Australia under the Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Program, in partnership with the Victorian Bar. The program focused on written and oral advocacy, from drafting pleadings and submissions to running trials in court.

The course also connected her with mentors from the Victorian Bar, providing professional guidance that continues beyond the training. “Being part of that network is important because I can seek assistance or direction from them anytime. It’s very effective and builds a lasting professional network,” she said.

Bakokoto said the experience was demanding but rewarding. “The Victorian Bar is one of the best bars in Australia. It represents an exceptionally high standard, acknowledged both across Australia and internationally. The course was extremely intensive but very satisfying.”

Bakokoto is the 29th ni-Vanuatu lawyer to complete the course and sign the overseas roll. The last two ni-Vanuatu participants completed the program in 2011, making her achievement a renewed step in the country’s growing participation in Pacific legal exchanges.

She is already putting these skills to good use in her training role at OPS, supporting continued legal education for lawyers in key areas, including the newly introduced Evidence Act 2025. Looking ahead, Bakokoto hopes more ni-Vanuatu lawyers will take part in similar opportunities. “My hope is that this support continues because it plays a very important part in capacity development for the justice sector in Vanuatu,” she said.

Through initiatives like this, Pacific legal cooperation continues to raise professional standards and improve advocacy across the region, helping ensure that justice remains fair, accessible, and well represented for all.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Dr Damutalau said most HPV infections clear naturally, but some remain and can increase the risk of cervical cancer. He said about 90 per cent of cervical cancers are linked to HPV, which is why vaccination and early screening are important. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Vanuatu’s education crisis a ‘national disaster’ – Pikinini Playtime CEO August 12, 2026
Pikinini Playtime founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Batten has described Vanuatu’s education situation as a “national disaster”, warning that poor literacy outcomes among children could affect the country’s future development. Speaking during an interview on Kava Mo Kajap, Mr. Batten said reports that around 70 per cent of children are unable to read and write at the expected level should be treated as a serious national concern. “I think it is a national disaster, like a hurricane or an earthquake,” Mr. Batten said. He said Vanuatu’s greatest resource is not its land or natural resources, but its people, and education is the foundation needed to develop that human resource. “Human resources are the number one resource for Vanuatu,” he said. Mr. Batten said countries that have successfully moved from being less developed to more advanced economies have done so by investing heavily in education and building a skilled population. However, he said Vanuatu’s current education results remain a major concern despite the country spending a significant amount of its national budget on education. “Vanuatu gives a lot of money per capita into education, but the results are still among the lowest in the Pacific,” he said. The Pikinini Playtime founder said the challenge is not only about funding but about how the education system delivers results. He questioned why many students continue to leave school without basic reading and writing skills despite years spent in classrooms. Mr. Batten said the impact of poor education outcomes can also be seen in the country’s workforce, where businesses often recruit skilled workers from overseas to fill positions. “We bring people from the Philippines and other countries to do accounting, bookkeeping, management, building and supervisory work, but many ni-Vanuatu are not able to take those opportunities because they do not have the basic education,” he said. He said the literacy issue must be addressed early because children who fail to develop strong reading skills in their early years often struggle throughout their education journey. Mr. Batten also raised concerns about the value placed on education within the system. He said teacher absenteeism, weak accountability and a lack of support for educators contribute to children losing confidence in learning. “When children see that school is not important, they begin to believe they don’t need school,” he said. Mr. Batten acknowledged that many teachers are working under difficult conditions but said the system needs stronger support, training and leadership to improve outcomes. He believes improving education requires everyone involved — government, schools, teachers, principals and parents — to work together. “Children are smart. They have the ability. But they need the right support and the right opportunities,” he said. Mr. Batten said addressing literacy must become a national priority because the future of Vanuatu depends on the quality of education provided to today’s children. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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