About Us

OUR STORY

The Office of the People’s Lawyer (OPL) is an independent government legal aid organisation. Our mission is to provide free, accessible, quality and timely legal aid to the disadvantaged people of Kiribati.

Our Office was established in the 1980’s as an ancillary branch of the Judiciary to provide free legal services to the public. OPL started from small beginnings but over the past 35 years has grown in size and effectiveness.

In 2014, OPL separated from the judiciary establishing OPL as an independent office under the Ministry of Justice. At the time, we were given our own budget to manage the operation of the office. Operational control of OPL was also transferred from a rotating expatriate lawyer to a locally appointed officer.

In 2018, the Public Legal Services Bill was passed by Parliament which, when assented, will formalise the Office’s separation from the judiciary by giving OPL legal status as an independent government body reporting to the Minister for Justice.

Our Office offers a broad range of legal services to the Kiribati public. In addition to providing free legal advice and representation to the disadvantaged people of Kiribati, we also have an important role in law reform and providing community legal education to the public to strengthen the understanding of and respect for the law and the legal system.

The demand for free legal services in Kiribati continues to grow with OPL providing legal assistance to thousands of people each year. Our Office has a continued commitment to meet this demand. Our staff are skilled, professional and focused on providing quality legal advice and access to justice to the people of Kiribati.