Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

E-Government in Support of the Institutions of Democracy and Justice in Pacific Island States

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Achieving Sustainable E-Government in Pacific Island States

Part of the book series: Public Administration and Information Technology ((PAIT,volume 27))

  • 721 Accesses

Abstract

A critical aspect of e-government is how countries use ICT to support the institutions of democracy and the rule of law to facilitate citizens’ access to information about these institutions. This chapter discusses how Pacific Island countries (PICs) are applying ICT to further this goal, with the support of regional organizations and development partners . It outlines how PICs are using e-government applications to improve their parliamentary process and provide citizens with information about parliament and the legislative process and how Pacific parliaments are using the web to communicate this information. The chapter discusses the use of ICT in the electoral process and the benefits and challenges these new technologies present. The contribution of justice information systems and the critical role of PacLII in providing access to information about legislation and court records in Pacific Island states are also discussed. Finally, the importance of government record-keeping and how ICT is used to ensure access to historic and current records is considered. The chapter explores some of the organizations and strategies helping to promote the use of ICT in democratic processes and concludes that the collaborative, knowledge sharing model that pervades this sector is an effective and sustainable model of e-government for development in the Pacific.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    It should be acknowledged that this would have been the case in parliaments of many industrialized nations 25 years ago.

  2. 2.

    Hansard is the traditional name for transcripts of the British Parliament; the name is widely adopted by countries in the Commonwealth of Nations (which a majority of independent Pacific Island states belong to), and commonly used in the Pacific region.

  3. 3.

    Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand, with a resident NZ Administrator, but defines itself as “largely self-governing with a system of government based on traditional village leadership”.

  4. 4.

    Even where there is a champion, maintaining momentum in making information available is a challenge. The Speaker of Papua New Guinea’s House of Representatives has launched a program of Reformation, Restoration and Modernization, and has made a commitment to greater community access to information about the activities of the parliament (which has had considerable UNDP support). But despite the fact the PNG is the largest and wealthiest of the Pacific Island countries in our study there is still significant information missing from its website (such as current Bills).

  5. 5.

    The Vanuatu lingua franca Bislama, is not supported by Joomla.

  6. 6.

    http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/.

  7. 7.

    The Association of Parliamentary Libraries of Australasia also participates in this, working together in the same paired relationships (http://apla.org.au/twinning-program/).

  8. 8.

    The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a self-governing enclave similar to Washington, DC, is the home of the federal government, but has its own Legislative Assembly.

  9. 9.

    The Pacific Parliamentary Partnerships program links ACT with Kiribati; NSW with Bougainville and Solomon Islands; NT with Niue; Queensland with PNG and Vanuatu; SA with Tonga and Marshall Islands; Tasmania with Samoa; Victoria with Niue and Tuvalu; WA with Cook Islands.

  10. 10.

    Principles 1 and 4 are: The government and its officials and agents as well as individuals and private entities are accountable under the law. Justice is delivered timely by competent, ethical, and independent representatives and neutrals who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.

  11. 11.

    http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/pjdp/home.

  12. 12.

    Cook Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu all have Ombudsman Offices. The role is otherwise usually filled by the Auditor General’s office or the state Audit Office.

  13. 13.

    French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna are not included.

  14. 14.

    This includes New Hebrides Joint legislation from 1909-1973, and Western Pacific Legislation (made by the Western Pacific High Commission) as it relates to Vanuatu.

  15. 15.

    Matai are Samoan chiefs responsible for the administration of the extended family and village and the maintenance of traditional customs. The Samoan matai title system includes many levels and roles, such as orator, and these traditional titles are often used before a holder’s given name and surname.

  16. 16.

    The ISO defines records as “information created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business.” Archives refers to both records and materials that are appraised to have archival value in addition to the physical place where archival materials and records are stored (United Nations 2016).

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Rowena Cullen

Authors
  1. Rowena Cullen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rowena Cullen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Rowena Cullen

  2. School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Graham Hassall

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cullen, R. (2017). E-Government in Support of the Institutions of Democracy and Justice in Pacific Island States. In: Cullen, R., Hassall, G. (eds) Achieving Sustainable E-Government in Pacific Island States. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50972-3_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation