28 June 2019
Serving the people and government of the Solomon Islands.
Bond University in Queensland, Australia, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and I was keen to learn how many Solomon Islanders might have studied there and gone on to lead successful careers at home serving the people and the government of the Solomon Islands.
I was given the story of one such student, John Muria Jr, and asked to share the story with local readers of my website.
I am happy to relate John�s story and how his simple story of enterprise and struggle could prove to be a source of encouragement to many in the Solomon Islands.
I am especially happy to bring his story because I knew his father, Sir John Muria, when Chief Justice in the Solomon Islands and am pleased to learn after two decades that Sir John is now the Chief Justice of the High Court in Kirabati.
Here is John�s story as related to me by the Press Officer of Bond University.
�When John Muria Jr was a child, his father used to tell him stories.
�One was about a woman who bought a health product to prevent the flu, but was unable to get her money back after the product failed to work and she became ill.
�Angry, the young boy told his father he wanted to help people like that woman. His father told him that was what lawyers did.
�The discussion set Muria Jr on a path that last year saw him appointed Attorney General of the Solomon Islands, at the age of just 36.
�In some respects, Muria Jr�s journey to become the principal legal officer to the government of his homeland shouldn�t come as a surprise.
�His father, Sir John Baptist Muria, was the first indigenous Solomon Islander to be appointed Chief Justice of his country, and has since gone on to be Chief Justice of the High Court of Kiribati for the past 8 years.
�Muria Jr always aspired to be a lawyer, and concedes that being around his father during his legal practice days and his judicial appointment was likely the determining factor.
�I was nine years old when dad was appointed as the first indigenous Solomon Islander to be a Puisne Judge of the High Court of the Solomon Islands. A year later he was appointed as the first indigenous Chief Justice of the Solomon Islands. As a 10-year-old, the importance of that appointment was not fully understood by me. However, as I ventured into my legal career path, it became my foundation.�
�Muria Jr studied a Bachelor of Laws at Bond University on the Gold Coast, graduating in 2005, before working at a private practice until 2007.
�The young lawyer�s next move was to the Attorney General�s chambers, as Senior Crown Counsel. He moved through the ranks, to Principal Crown Counsel then Chief Crown Counsel, before becoming Special Secretary to the Solomon Islands Prime Minister in 2017. �
�Just over 18 months later, Muria Jr was appointed Attorney General.
�Domestically, Muria Jr�s priorities have been around bringing closure to longstanding legal disputes, mostly surrounding land, and in particular customary land.
�He�s pinpointed a lack of funding to some legal jurisdictions as cause of many of the delays.
�In Solomon Islands, the High Court does not deal with customary land ownership issues. Customary land disputes are dealt with by the House of Chiefs, with right of appeal to the Local Courts, and right of further appeal to the Customary Land Appeal Court. The High Court only deals with points of law, if any arise. But I think funding, or lack of funding for the Local Court and Customary Land Appeal Court sittings continues to be the main cause for delays.�
�Muria Jr also feels the Solomon Islands is yet to fully realise its potential, and can take lessons from its South Pacific neighbours as it moves towards further development.
�Solomon Islands is strategically located. The economic, social and political potential of the geographical location of the Solomon Islands is yet to be fully utilised.
�Solomon Islands, I believe, has the benefit of hindsight in terms of development aspirations. We can look to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and others, and learn from their mistakes while pursuing our development ambitions.�
�Muria Jr admits he feels the pressure of expectations from others � as the son of a former Chief Justice, he is automatically expected to himself be a high achiever.
�However, his heritage is a double-edged sword � while the Muria name brings pressure and expectation, it also provides inspiration.
�Muria Jr said the story of his father�s upbringing from a remote village in the highlands of West Guadalcanal, to becoming a Puisne Judge and the first indigenous Chief Justice, was one filled with struggle and hardship, but one which also gave him belief in his own abilities.
�I am constantly reminded by him to this day of those struggles and that I must continue to appreciate and be thankful for the blessings I have today.
�Dad continues to be, and will always be, my inspiration and mentor. Occasionally we have diverging views on certain legal issues, but I always enjoy discussions with him.�
�Now 37, Muria says it�s also impossible to escape perceptions that come with his relatively young age.
�I do feel the pressure from being a young person in this kind of position.
�There is this predisposition, which I guess has its roots in traditional culture, that positions of responsibility and high level are only meant for the mature person. Coupled with the general perception by the public that legal knowledge and experience is obtained through the number of years of practice, I will not rule out that that there may be times that my advice will be judged by the fact I am young. I do not subscribe to the view that one�s ability is because of his or her age.�
�A recurring theme with Muria Jr is the importance of people. As he strives to help move his country forward, he also reinforces the need for his fellow Solomon Islanders to step up. ��
�I don�t think there is a problem with the legal system. I think it is us, the operators, that need to rethink where we want to be in the next 10 years.
�Today, approximately 70 per cent of the population of the Solomon Islands is aged under 35 years, and so to me, being appointed to AG at a young age is an achievement for young people in the Solomon Islands. I believe it is the beginning of a new era for Solomon Islands, an era where young people rise up to serve their country.�
�The most important people in Muria Jr�s life are his wife Hazel and their children � he describes them as his motivation, and the reason for his success.
�Muria Jr is philosophical about how his time as Attorney General will be viewed.
�I guess my legacy would be that I am the beginning of that change from the old to the young. If I am to inspire young people to have the courage to take up responsible positions, then I am happy to have left that legacy.
�People usually tend to judge you for what you have not achieved. But I will do my best during my tenure to serve my people and government.�
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
�
