Volunteer with VSA

Kia ora, Halo and warm Pacific greetings
  
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is:

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.  

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū. 

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role:

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in the Solomon Islands. By working alongside our local partner organisation.
  
For this assignment we are looking for an experienced legal advisor or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific.

Please note the VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are deployed on this assignment.
  
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role:

If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.

• Sound academic background in law with experience of court processes
• Experience in legal file management and streamlining administration processes for the advancement of cases
• Confidence in the administration and filing of legal documentation
• Confidence and experience providing findings and recommendations to judges and associates on types of support to advance cases 

Our Partner Organisation – High Court of Solomon Islands:

The High Court of Solomon Islands presides over serious criminal and civil cases. It also has appellate jurisdiction, hearing appeals from the magistrates' courts and from the Customary Land Appeal Court. The Chief Justice presides over the High Court along with a team of eight judges. Each judge has an associate and an executive assistant. Current associates do not have legal training and perform mostly administrative tasks required by judges.

The Assignment:

On this assignment you will be required to work alongside judges at the High Court to understand the type of support they require from an associate and the support required to upskills current associates.

Areas of focus include file management and the development of resources that will result in reduction of time it takes to deliver rulings from hearings.
  
The Country – The Solomon Islands:

The Solomon Islands has over 900 islands, 5,000 rural villages and 550,000 people. Between 1999 and 2003 it experienced a period of conflict which took a heavy toll on the country and left a need for reconciliation and on-going peace and security measures.

A request for assistance by the government in 2003 led Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Island countries to form the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) which restored peace and security.

Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:

Please apply for this opportunity through our website. For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, you are welcome to email our recruitment team at: volunteer@vsa.org.nz. Noting that due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.

We are looking for a volunteer with:

• An opportunity to share your legal experience and knowledge
• 15 month volunteer assignment based in the Solomon Islands
• Flights, accommodation and living expenses provided.