Village Courts are formal courts operating under the Village Courts Act 1989 and Village Court Regulations 1973, and employ customary methods of mediation and conflict-resolution which are basic concepts of restorative justice. There are currently 14,496 Village Courts throughout the country, covering approximately 90% of the country with more than 15,000 officials, 900 of which are women. Each Village Court has 4 – 5 Village Magistrates (selected by the Community and appointed by the Minister for Justice as judicial officers); 3 – 4 peace officers; and 1 clerk. Land Mediation is provided for under the Land Dispute Settlement Act (Chapter No.45) to provide for the settlement of disputes in relation to customary land.
Under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments (OLPLLG), village courts and customary land dispute resolution are delegated functions to Provincial Governments. The Village Courts and Land Mediation Secretariat, a branch Department of Justice and Attorney General is located in West New Britain House, Level 4
Administering and implementing the legislation on village courts and administering the gazettal and proclamation of Village Court areas, Village Court officials and Land Mediators
Improving and maintaining an effective Village Courts and land mediation services Information Management System
Strengthening the capacity of Provincial Administrations to sustain the support they provide to Village Courts and land mediation services in their respective provinces
Fostering an awareness of addressing cross-cutting issues in village courts and land mediation operation
