Vanuatu Legal Sector Strengthening Program

Abstract

The Vanuatu Legal Sector Strengthening Program (VLSSP) was launched in 2002 at a time when “the public was calling for a revamp of the whole judiciary.” This case study describes how VLSSP, which was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), contributed to Vanuatu’s legal sector capacity through professional development of staff, relationship building, administrative reforms, review of laws, and infrastructure improvements. It highlights a number of factors which contributed to the success of the program, as well as some of the challenges in sustaining reforms, including retaining trained staff in a competitive job market. This subseries is published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide the governments of its Pacific developing member countries (PDMCs) with analyses and insights on key issues and lessons learned with respect to capacity development. Cases studied highlight a range of experiences throughout the region by sector, theme, and source of external support, revealing approaches to capacity development that work best and the conditions that have been conducive to their success. They also explore the unique challenges faced by PDMCs in addressing capacity constraints as well as some opportunities facing governments and the people in the Pacific islands. Among other things, the case studies underline the importance of PDMC leadership, engagement of local partners, strategic attention to long-term capacity issues, and effective use of external resources. We hope that the findings in these reports will help guide future capacity building efforts in the Pacific.