CLA News / Backing the Pacific: How Clio and the Mineral Resources Authority of PNG Are Strengthening the Commonwealth Legal Community

Across the Pacific, geography and resources can create barriers to legal education, professional connection and access to justice. Two organisations are helping to break those barriers down — Clio and the Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea.

The strength of the Commonwealth legal community depends on the ability of lawyers and legal institutions — regardless of the size of their jurisdiction — to connect, share knowledge and have their voices heard.

For lawyers in some of the Commonwealth’s smallest Pacific states, however, participating in that wider legal community can present very real challenges.

That is why the support of Clio and the Legal Division of the Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea (MRA PNG) is making a meaningful difference.

Their contributions are helping the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) strengthen its work across Oceania — from supporting access to legal information and education to enabling lawyers from smaller Pacific jurisdictions to take an active role within the CLA.

Clio: connecting technology, access and opportunity

Clio, formerly vLex, has developed a strong presence across Oceania, working with legal communities in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa to improve access to current and consolidated legal information and introduce legal AI.

Through its work in the region, Clio has seen first-hand the resource constraints faced by many Pacific legal systems and the importance of ensuring that lawyers and judges can access the legal information they need.

Its work has included acquiring existing legal databases and developing enhanced databases of its own. In Papua New Guinea, Clio is also working with the judiciary to capture judicial reports and support access to legal AI.

But Clio’s commitment to the region extends beyond legal technology.

Recognising that financial resources can also be a barrier to participation in international legal networks, Daniel Hobson, Head of Business, APAC at Clio, has generously supported CLA membership on two occasions for Council Members and Young Lawyer Representatives from smaller Pacific jurisdictions.

The result has been significant.

This support has enabled the CLA to welcome its first-ever Council Members from Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru Naoero and Kiribati, alongside a Young Lawyer Representative from Samoa, with further representation to follow.

Membership provides these jurisdictions with a direct connection to the wider Commonwealth legal family — enabling representatives to participate in CLA committees, exchange knowledge with peers and build relationships across the Commonwealth.

It also strengthens connections with CLA partners, including the Bar Association of Queensland, and the PNG Centre for Judicial Excellence, and the World Justice project, creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collaboration that extend well beyond membership itself.

Mineral Resources Authority of PNG: investing in the rule of law

The CLA’s work in Oceania has also benefited from generous support from the Legal Division of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) of Papua New Guinea.

In 2025, Sharon Haihavu, Manager, Legal, MRA, made a keynote address to our PNG CLE event and was moved to make made a significant contribution in support of the CLA’s work across Oceania.

The contribution reflects a commitment to strengthening the legal profession and the rule of law across Papua New Guinea and the wider South Pacific.

It is supporting the CLA’s ability to:

• continue its legal education and access to justice work in PNG and the South Pacific;
• support CLA Council and Young Lawyer positions for small island states, enabling representatives to join committees, connect with peers and share resources;
• communicate rule of law initiatives and statements in support of South Pacific Commonwealth countries; and
• promote awareness and understanding of the rule of law, the Latimer House Principles, the common law and the values of Commonwealth parliamentary democracies.

This is support with a clear regional impact: helping ensure that lawyers and legal institutions in the Pacific can participate fully in the professional networks, conversations and opportunities that connect the Commonwealth.

Why partnership matters

The contributions of Clio and the Mineral Resources Authority of PNG demonstrate two different but complementary ways of supporting a stronger legal community.

Clio’s contribution is helping open the door to participation and connection.

MRA PNG’s support is helping strengthen the wider infrastructure of legal education, access to justice and rule-of-law engagement.

Together, these contributions help address some of the practical barriers faced by smaller Pacific jurisdictions.

And representation matters.

When lawyers from Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru Naoero, Solomon Islands and Samoa are able to participate in CLA networks, they bring perspectives and experiences that enrich the wider Commonwealth legal conversation and help develop Commonwealth jurisprudence.

For the CLA, supporting that participation is not simply about increasing representation. It is about ensuring that the Commonwealth’s diverse legal communities can connect, contribute and learn from one another.

Strengthening the Pacific. Strengthening the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth’s legal community is at its strongest when every jurisdiction has the opportunity to participate.

The CLA is therefore enormously grateful to Clio and the Legal Division of the MRA Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea for their generosity and commitment to the region.

Their support is helping create stronger professional networks, expand opportunities for lawyers and young lawyers, promote legal education and access to justice, and reinforce the shared values that underpin the Commonwealth legal community.

Because a stronger Pacific legal community means a stronger, more connected Commonwealth.

Interested in supporting the CLA’s work? The CLA works with partners across the Commonwealth to strengthen legal education, professional networks, access to justice and the rule of law.

To find out more about supporting the CLA’s work across the Commonwealth, contact the CLA Secretariat.