Between 2 and 6 November 2026, the Office of the Public Solicitor (OPS) visited the offshore island communities of North Efate. The team held legal awareness sessions and free legal clinics on Lelepa, Moso, Pele and Nguna.
The aim was to improve access to justice in rural areas. The team explained people's legal rights and the free services the Office of the Public Solicitor provides.
The outreach team was:
- Mr Glenn Melten Talae
- Mr Kalo Shem Amos
- Mr Cedric Melteror
- Mrs Cecile D. Tovor
What Communities Learned
At each session, the team gave presentations on:
- the services and functions of the Office of the Public Solicitor
- Employment Law
- Family Law
- Wills and Probate
- Criminal Law
- how to get legal representation
- the free legal clinic
Island by Island
Lelepa Island: The team opened the week on Lelepa, where about 15 people took part. Discussion covered legal aid services, employment rights, family law and criminal law. Turnout was lower than hoped because of other community activities, and because many residents were working or studying on Efate or overseas.
Moso Island: More than 20 villagers and several chiefs attended. Questions focused on employment disputes, workers' rights and freedom of religion. Community leaders welcomed the visit and asked for more awareness programs in future.
Pele Island: The visit to Pele came during a time of mourning in the community, and there was also some confusion over scheduling. The team still held a session at Wareiaru Village with more than 20 participants. Discussions covered child custody, criminal offences and freedom of religion.
Nguna Island: On Nguna, the team moved the session to a village where residents had already gathered, and it went ahead successfully. Participants raised questions about consumer complaints, child custody, criminal matters and religious freedom.
Free Legal Clinic
All week, the team invited community members to come forward for private and confidential legal advice. On the final day, two people formally asked the Office for legal help.
Lessons for Future Outreach
The team noted several challenges:
- communication between Area Administration offices and local chiefs sometimes broke down
- many residents are away on seasonal worker schemes in Australia and New Zealand
- unforeseen events disrupted some plans
To reach more people on future visits, the Office plans to:
- coordinate directly with both Area Administrators and community chiefs
- copy chiefs into all correspondence about awareness programs
- schedule sessions on existing village meeting days
- make awareness visits every year
- keep combining free legal clinics with awareness sessions
A Continuing Need
Despite the logistical challenges, the outreach was completed across all four island communities. Chiefs, community leaders and residents responded positively. The visit raised awareness of legal rights, gave direct legal help, and showed that rural communities continue to need legal awareness and outreach services.
The Office of the Public Solicitor thanks the chiefs, Area Administrators and communities of Lelepa, Moso, Pele and Nguna for welcoming the team.
Anyone who needs free legal advice or representation can contact the Office of the Public Solicitor.