The School of Law is proud to count among its graduates some of Papua New Guinea's most distinguished leaders, scholars, and professionals. Their achievements inspire current students and reflect the enduring impact of a UPNG education.
Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea (1993–2003)
Bachelor of Laws, 1975. Appointed Chief Justice at 40 — among the youngest ever to hold the office — and knighted the same year for service to the judiciary, law and justice. Later Member for Madang.
Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea (since 2018)
Bachelor of Laws, 1978, then the Legal Training Institute and admission to the bar in 1979. A state prosecutor and counsel to the Ombudsman Commission before joining the bench in 1990; Chief Justice since 2018.
PNG's first woman lawyer; Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum
Read law at UPNG before an LLB at Melbourne and an LLM at Harvard. Papua New Guinea's first woman lawyer and its Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1994; in 2014 she became the first woman to lead the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
President of Vanuatu (2004–2009)
Graduated in law from UPNG in 1981 and became the first Vanuatu head of state to hold a university degree, serving as President from 2004 to 2009.
6th Governor-General of the Solomon Islands (2009–2019)
Studied law at UPNG from 1969 to 1973 and became the Solomon Islands' first law graduate. A judge and twice president of the Solomon Islands Bar Association before serving ten years as Governor-General.
Lawyer and MP; former Attorney-General of Papua New Guinea
Bachelor of Laws at UPNG and the PNG Legal Training Institute. Led the commercial litigation practice at Posman Kua Aitsi Lawyers before entering Parliament for Sinasina-Yonggamugl, where he served as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General.