Law and Policy Database

The Act establishes a National Disaster Council in Solomon Islands and the government agency empowered to deal with natural disasters. The Act empowers the Minister responsible for matters relating disaster to declare a state of energy over Solomon Islands or a part thereof. During such state of emergency, the Council shall assume full and complete control of Solomon Islands or the covered portion, and take whatever safety measures it considers expedient in the public interest and for the protection of life and property.

The Land, Surveys and Environment Act of Samoa provides for the conservation and protection of the environment, and the establishment of national parks and other protected areas. It provides for classification of land as either farm land (suitable or adaptable for a type of farming), urban land (suitable or adaptable for residential purposes or in the vicinity of a town or village), and commercial or industrial land (suitable or adaptable for use for a commercial or industrial purpose). The Act identifies functions of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Resources and Environment for purpose of conservation and protection of the environment.

The case is a landmark ruling where the Supreme Court ruled that there is no crime of frustrated rape.

The case originated from an exemption to the ceiling for urban land acquisition. Based on such exemption, the petitioner was allowed to acquire excess land, on the condition that it shall be used for housing of the weaker section of society which shall be priced accordingly. Respondents contend, and the court agreed, that the violation of such condition is contrary to the right to shelter which is included in the right to life.

The case involves the disclosure of documents between the Minister of Law and Chief Justices, in relation to the non-appointment of certain Additional Judges (short-term appointees) as permanent Judges. The state argued that the documents were privileged. The court directed the disclosure of the documents because availability of information is essential to government accountability and democracy.

The Noordwijk Declaration on Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change declares that the composition of the earth's atmosphere is being seriously altered at an unprecedented rate due to human activity.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international human rights convention that focuses in particular on the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The CRC is founded on four guiding principles, namely, the principle of equality and non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child in matters that affect him or her, according to his or her age and maturity.

The Act established the Office of the Ombudsman and provided for its structural organization and functions.

In the division of property inherited by three brothers and a sister, the sister was deprived of part of her share. The court held that "relinquishment" by a female of her inheritance is contrary to public policy as understood in the Islamic sense.

The Building Control Act of 1989 provides that the application for the approval of the plans of any building works must be made to the Commissioner of Building Control. Significantly, it contains a portion on environmental sustainability measures for buildings, including a system of Green Mark scores referring to the environmental sustainability of a building.