Government To Set Up A Separate Judicial Entity
Court House At Mulinuu
Photo: Eyespyradio 87.5FM
The Government intends to set up a separate judicial entity to serve as its own prosecutor.
The creation of a new independent legal authority for the government was announced this week in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio.
Members of Parliament expressed their significant worry about the excessive employee turnover of the AG's office during the discussion of the Office of the Attorney General's Annual Report for 2019/2020.
In less than a year, 19 attorneys left the position of Attorney General.
The majority of lawyers left their positions because the private sector offered higher compensation, according to acting prime minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio.
Many lawyers migrate abroad in search of better possibilities, while others abandon the profession to gain experience.
Members of Parliament suggested examining wages and working conditions, increasing salary to keep employees, or providing partial scholarships to law students who serve as clerks in the office.
In his statement, Tuala disclosed that the government intends to create a separate National Prosecution Office to handle prosecution-related duties apart from the Office of the Attorney General.
A National Prosecution Office has, however, long existed.
The HRPP government had previously formed a national prosecution office, but it was later disbanded in 2016 as a result of competing demands between the National prosecution office and the office of the attorney general.