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The following is an archive of the References that the Commission has worked on in the past.

Acts of Parliament

WHEREAS in terms of Section 76 and Schedule 3 of the Constitution, the Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of general application and in force on 1st January, 1961 shall have effect as part of the law of Solomon Islands subject to minor non‐substantive changes as may be deemed necessary.

AND WHEREAS the High Court has grappled with this situation in a number of cases brought before it on several occasions in this jurisdiction.

AND WHEREAS it is time the National Parliament enacted legislations to replace these often out‐dated and inappropriate Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

NOW THEREFORE in exercise of the powers conferred by section 5(1) of the Law Reform Commission Act, 1994, I, OLIVER ZAPO, Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs hereby refer to the Law Reform Commission the following –

To enquire and report to me on –

  1. The study of each Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from time to time in terms of section 76 and Schedule 3 to the Constitution;
  2. Desirability for modernising the relevant Act as far as the circumstances in Solomon Islands may allow;
  3. Reforms as may be necessary to ensure the continuance or otherwise of that law in the current context of the needs of Solomon Islands.

Dated at Honiara 1st day of May 1995.

O. ZAPO

Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs

NB: Explanation : Section 76 (a) of the Constitution as read with paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the Constitution are transitional provisions allowing Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which are of general application and are in force on 1st January, 1961 to be part of the law of Solomon Islands subject to cosmetic changes. Identifying which Acts these are is a practical problem for Solomon Islands. Also, these Acts have already been replaced in the United Kingdom with modern modifications to suit modern circumstances. Such modifications though useful and necessary would not be part of the law of Solomon Islands if they are in force after 1st January, 1961. These are the problems that need immediate attention. The Acts must therefore be identified, studied and if required, modernised to suit the current needs of Solomon Islands.

 

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Land Below High Water Mark Reference

This reference requires the Commission to report to the Minister on the following:

  • The current legal position regarding ownership/control of beaches/shores and land below high water mark and low water mark.
  • The true position of ownership of beaches/shores and land below high water mark and low water mark.
  • Right of use of beaches/shores and land below high water mark and low water mark in custom.
  • The pros and cons pertaining to the current legal position in this regard.
  • Changes in the law to reflect the true aspirations of the people of the Solomon Islands.

The Commission started work on this reference in 2009, and a Consultation Paper was released in October 2009. Download the PDF version ( pdf Consultation Paper on the land below high water mark and low water mark (155 KB) ).

Consultations were held from late 2009 to 2011.  Consultation has included meetings in all provinces, a day-long workshop was conducted on February 9th 2011 at Mendana Hotel, Honiara for Honiara stakeholders attended by around 40 participants.  Joseph Foukona, a Solomon Islander and Law lecturer based in Vanuatu USP School of Law gave the keynote address on “The Legal reality of customary tenure ‘land and marine’ in Solomon Islands. The workshop was co-funded by Solomon Islands Government and RAMSI Law and Justice Unit.

Research in Port Vila, Vanuatu and in Suva, Fiji, was carried out in September 2011 to get first hand information about the mechanisms in place to address use and ownership claims and development on  land below high water mark.

The Commission has received 74 submissions on this review.

Full list of References given to the LRC by Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs

Reference

Year given

Section 5C of the Forest Resources and Timber Utilisation Act.

 

1995

Marriage and divorce law (including the Islanders’ Marriage Act and the Pacific Islands Civil Marriages Order 1907).

 

1995

Building Code

1995

Review of the law relating to the treatment of mental patients

 

1995

Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code

 

1995

Law of Treason (including Part VII of the Penal Code)

 

1995

Law of Sedition

 

1995

Law, including customary law,  that applies to land below high water and low water mark

 

1995

Customs and Excise Act & penalty provisions in Customs and Excise Act (two references)

 

1995 & 1996

United Kingdom laws of general application in Solomon Island

1995

 

          2012 Land Below High and Low Water Mark  Report PDF version ( pdf Review of the Law that Applies to Land Below High Water Mark and Low Water Mark (3.28 MB) ).

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