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ADR in the Pacific – spotlight on Papua New Guinea
Our three panelists Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, George Fox and Nadja Alexander, have been helping to shape mediation law and practice in PNG. Between them they are involved in setting up mediation infrastructure, drafting of ADR laws and rules, designing mediation accreditation schemes and mediating complex multi-party disputes in the country.
In this session they hope to reflect on their experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly -- and engage the audience in a conversation about the way forward in PNG and the Pacific region.
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Audio recording: Listen to this panel session (36 mins) >> 
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George Fox George Fox is a practicing lawyer and mediator, former chair of the Queensland Law Society ADR committee, and adjunct professor of law at Murdoch University. He has taught ADR at tertiary masters level, conducted mediation training sessions for the legal profession in Queensland and for provincial chiefs and community leaders in the Solomon Islands, and is a former Law Reform Commissioner for the Republic of Fiji. He is currently member of council and chair of governance committee for both the University of Southern Queensland and Lifeline Australia. Nadja Alexander Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law designate at City University Hong Kong and Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University. She is currently immersed in a sabbatical at the Mandela Institute in South Africa working on various projects around mediation, human rights and restorative justice. She has also been involved in mediation initiatives in the Pacific in recent years. On a policy level Professor Alexander is active in mediation law reform initiatives in Germany, England, Barbados and PNG. She is a member of NADRAC, the ADR Committee of the Law Council of Australia, and the Standards Commission of the International Mediation Institute. Nadja Alexander is also part of the panel: Hot topics, hot seats >> Personal information
This is the first ever picture that was taken of Ambeng – on his admission to the bar. He was born in a village where things like cameras, hospitals and ice cream simply did not exist!
George is a country boy at heart and first chance he gets he will disappear into the solitude of the bush. George is also good at fixing things and telling stories about buffalos and deer.
This year Nadja spent three weeks in a 15th century Polish spa once frequented by Katherina the Great and boasting a combination of 1980s fashion, feudal tax collection techniques, fantastic mud baths and evening dance workshops. Nadja loves dance performance. |
Justice Ambeng Kandakasi
Justice Ambeng Kandakasi was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme and National Courts of Justices of Papua New Guinea on 1st November 2000. Prior to that, he was a partner for four years of PNG private law firm, Young & Williams where he focused on civil litigation in the areas of insurance, commercial, land or property, company, contracts and employment laws.
Prior to joining the firm in 1991, he taught at the University of Papua New Guinea and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of San Diego, USA, from where he graduated with a Master of Laws degree in 1990.
His Honour was behind the drafting and adoption of the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum's statutes and has been Vice President of the APMF and continues to play an active part in that Forum.
Presently His Honour is the Chair of the Judicial Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has been instrumental in changes to the National Court Act in PNG allowing for the Court to order mediation/ ADR at any stage of the proceedings. Presently, he is overseeing the drafting and possible adoption of a whole system of Court Rules, standards and mediator accreditation system, mediator code of conduct and complaints handling procedure.
He has conducted more than 20 mediations with the latest one concluded in August of this year involving 42 clans numbering over 2,000 plus people. All of his mediations have been successful. This is in addition to His Honouradopting and applying a range of case management tools that have resulted in the settlement of more that 300 cases.
His Honour is also on a number of PNG Judicial Committees, most importantly the Judicial Education Committee - responsible for all training for the PNG Judiciary and its support staff.
In addition to all of the above, His Honour has been a strong voice, both in formal judicial pronouncements decisions and judgments as well as publicly through lectures and talks.
In recognition of his contribution to the teaching and the learning of ADR, His Honour has been made an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and an Adjunct Associate Professor of the James Cook University.
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