As of October 2023, Papua New Guinea's National and Supreme Courts has 43 sitting judges, but Prime Minister James Marape plans to increase this number to 200. The courts, led by Chief Justice Sir Gibs Salika and Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, has 41 judges - two serving in acting roles and two being Australian Federal Judges. Most judges are in Waigani, with some based in Lae, Madang, Mt. Hagen, Alotau, Buka, Kimbe, Kokopo, Kavieng, and one assigned to the Goroka/Tari circuit. The increase in judges is part of the government's reforms to strengthen the judicial system and ensure justice by reducing case backlogs. In November 2023, Parliament passed a bill to increase judges, and in February 2024, they introduced legislation for an Appeals Court to tackle backlogs, supported by the Opposition. "I extend my gratitude to the Opposition for backing this critical legislation, which facilitates the establishment of an Appeals Court (as) this is a key step towards addressing the backlog of court cases, reflecting our collective effort to enhance the judicial system for our rapidly growing population and economy," stated Prime Minister Marape. Additionally, PNG and Australia signed a A$200 million Bilateral Security Agreement in December 2023 to improve security and enhance various services, demonstrating a commitment to regional security. Prime Minister Marape emphasized that these measures are part of a holistic approach to enhancing law enforcement and judicial systems despite current security concerns in some of the country's regions.