After taking her Oath of Office today and creating history as the first female Public Prosecutor of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Ms. Helen Roalakona expressed her commitment to reform, build capacity, and uphold the rule of law while in office amid ongoing challenges facing the nation.

In her first address to the media as the Public Prosecutor, Ms. Roalakona emphasized the importance of her role and the support she has received.

“Today has been a significant event for me and for the Office of the Public Prosecutor, having been sworn in to take on the office as the first female public prosecutor for Papua New Guinea,” she stated.

“The role is not a very light role. I understand the weight that comes with it and I think what is reassuring is the support of the government and recognition of the Office of the Public Prosecutor and the role it plays.”

Ms. Roalakona understands that the pressure is on and acknowledged her former boss for having confidence in her ability to do the job.

“I take on the role as a human being who can do the job. So, I take it on with that confidence.

“We’re at a stage with the country's current situation of law and order, and especially with the country being placed on the grey list, where a lot of attention has been given to the lack of prosecutions. It is an important time for the Office of the Public Prosecutor to step up, to carry out its mandate, and to uphold the rule of law.”

Her immediate focus is on strengthening the operations of the office which she now occupies.

“We hope that within the tenure of my appointment, we are able to achieve, firstly, strengthening the operations of the Office of the Public Prosecutor to increase our manpower and capacity, essentially to meet the demands of the country, to respond positively to the country's position with the grey listing, and being part of the strategy to take the country out of the grey listing are some of our important priorities during the tenure of my appointment,” she said.

The new Public Prosecutor also highlighted the Office’s regional engagement.

“In the recent past, we’ve engaged with our Melanesian partners, where we have signed MoUs with the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. We intend to provide assistance and capacity building to our neighbouring countries, our Melanesian brothers, to strengthen their capacity and share our skills.”

She reaffirmed the unique status of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in PNG, as a very unique law office, where they are the only Prosecutor’s Agency in the country with powers to take on very seriously, and ensure to exercise and to control that power according to the law.

Despite being a small team, she expressed confidence in her staff and for the support she has received over the past 12 months during her acting tenure. She also thanked and acknowledged her two deputies for their support and ensuring the operations during her acting tenure ran smoothly.

Looking ahead, she outlined her strategic vision for the next six years.

“Our overall objective is to raise the standard of prosecutions in this country, to increase our skills and capacity, and to deliver prosecution services that are effective and efficient for the people of Papua New Guinea,” she said.

Institutional reform and expansion are also on the agenda.

“Currently, we have about 11 provincial offices, and we aim to increase that to at least 15 or 20, especially in provinces with resident judges and high volumes of criminal matters,” she added.

“This will require an increase in manpower, and we have approval to recruit the right people to fill these positions. It’s part of our five-year corporate plan to expand our presence into all provinces, especially where the need is greatest.”

Her appointment marks a new chapter for the Office of the Public Prosecutor and the nation’s justice system.

“It is an important time for the Office to step up and meet the demands of the country. We are committed to strengthening our institution and delivering justice for all Papua New Guineans.” Roalakona concluded.