Vale Regina Sagu: 5 April 1956 – 12 March 2021
The IAWJ mourns the passing of a friend and colleague, Justice Regina Sagu of the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea. Regina is especially well-known to members in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the Asia Pacific Region, but also more widely to members of the IAWJ as a regular attendee and contributor to Biennial and Regional Conferences.
Regina was a founding member of the PNG Judicial Women’s Association in 2012 which then became an affiliated National Association of the IAWJ and was President of the PNGJWA from March 2015 until her death. The PNGJWA played a pivotal role in encouraging the introduction of Domestic Violence legislation in PNG, enacted first in 2013.
She was a proud daughter of Enga Province, in the Highlands of PNG. She was initially appointed as a Magistrate and became a Principal Magistrate of the District Court of PNG. In 2017 she was Director of the Centre for Judicial Excellence of the Supreme and National Court of PNG. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of PNG, the highest Court in that country, in March 2020 and was the first woman appointed to that Court from the Enga Province, one of only 6 women on that Court of 40 Judges overall, and one of only 3 national women Judges.
She worked tirelessly promoting continuing education for the whole judiciary and was a vocal advocate for Women’s and Childrens’ rights. In 2017, with assistance from 2 retired Australian women Judges, she worked with the magistracy on the rules for the new Lukautim Pikinini Act, 2015, an Act based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, extending protection to all children, including those infected/affected by HIV/AIDS, sexually and physically exploited children, children affected by conflicts and children with disabilities and which amended and replaced previous child welfare legislation in PNG In 2020, as a Justice of the Supreme Court, before her illness struck she engaged with village court magistrates in her home province of Enga to discuss coordinating customary and formal courts on land issues.
As President of the PNGJWA she encouraged each member to achieve her best, especially to attend IAWJ Biennial and Regional Conferences all over the world and bring back to PNG the knowledge gained. With sponsorship from AAWJ and NZAWJ there have been delegations from PNG to conferences even as far back as 2008 in Panama but increasingly from 2015 under Regina’s leadership. The large PNG delegation to Buenos Aires in 2018 was very special, where they were able to witness their great friend and mentor, Teresa Doherty, formerly both a Magistrate and Supreme Court Justice in PNG, receive the Arline Pacht award at the Dinner. Who will ever forget the emotion and joy as the PNG delegates came onto the stage to embrace Teresa?
Regina has attended IAWJ conferences as a delegate and panellist at the Sydney Regional Conference in 2017. She was intending to lead what would have been the largest PNG delegation to Auckland in 2020. Sadly that was not possible but her leadership, tenacity and spirit will live on in the increasing number of women Judges in PNG who she has mentored and promoted and the increasing membership base of the PNGJWA.
Papua New Guinea generally is a better place because of the contribution of Justice Regina Sagu, especially women Judges and women and children generally. The IAWJ mourns the loss of our dear sister and sends our condolences to her family in PNG and all of the women Judges in PNG who will miss her leadership and energy but who, because of that, will continue her work.
Written by Judge Robyn Tupman
