THE four-day workshop on family violence and youth justice ended on Friday at the Honiara Hotel conference room on a high note.
Facilitator of this workshop Justice Peter Boshier, who is the Chief Judge of New Zealand family court, said this is the most active workshop he has ever been to.
Members of the judiciary, government agencies and departments, as well as non-government organisations attended the seminar.
Judge Boshier said everyone attending this workshop all wanted to talk and to have a say.
“What is beneficial in this workshop is the whole judiciary is here,” he said.
“The judges and magistrates could hear what everyone is saying and every one could hear what they are saying.”
He said there have been really good information sharing between the judiciary and the community at the workshop.
Judge Boshier said they spent two days discussing about family violence and then moved on to discussion and sharing views and ideas in relation to youth offending.
He said on Thursday they have showed everyone a new type of possible new court for the country.
“We did that on Thursday and try to think of how we could deal with young offenders to make them better citizens so we could rehabilitate them.
“Judges and magistrates themselves will talk about the way in which they run juvenile courts and will decide whether they want to try out some new exciting techniques which are now being introduced in Samoa and Cook Islands,” Judge Boshier said.
Yesterday they concentrated on outcomes of family violence.
He said he drafted a possible Accord and worked hard on getting the agreement on the outcome of family violence workshop.
Judge Boshier said both him and the chief justice will sign the Accord and then it will go to some ministers including the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Minister for Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Health and Medical Services.
He stressed that everyone in Solomon Islands wants something to happen.
He said the workshop is finished with a strong agreement to address such a serious family problem.
“Everyone is happy that the Family Protection Bill is before the Parliament but on the other hand even if it is passed it will take quite a long time to be implemented.
“So they want to get something under way now.
“This is so everyone is now looking at the body that is already set up the SAFENET.”
SAFENET is comprised of Family Support Center, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, the Minister of Health and Medical Services, the Christian Care Centre, and the Public Solicitor’s Office.
He said after seeing the Accord and everyone’s ideas and asked them to communicate to the chief justice, ministers and commissioner for police with what action they are going to take after the workshop.
He thanked everyone and especially chief justice who attended the workshop.
“To me, a country can have a bright future if it has strong judicial leadership.”
Similar workshops have been previously conducted in Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, and Cook Islands.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN