Administrative law and customary law in Papua New Guinea

ABSTRACT This article commences with a review of the administrative law regime in Papua New Guinea, including the avenues for review of administrative decisions. Against this background, the constitutional mandate to take a Papua New Guinean approach to the development of administrative law is considered. More specifically, the article explores the approach of the courts to review of decisions involving customary law. The article also discusses whether decisions of traditional leaders are or should be subject to judicial review, given that the notion of governmental action has been expanded to cover not only action taken by government officials and officers acting for statutory bodies, but also actions by private persons who are part of a framework of governmental control.