Vanuatu Legal Sector Strengthening Program. Henry Vira

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.