1. Dr Rebecca Monson
Australian National University College of Law
rebecca.monson@anu.edu.au
Who speaks for the land?
Commercialisation and the transformation
of customary land tenure in Solomon
Islands

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3. Solomon Islands’ legal system
• Influence of kastom (custom), Christianity and
the state
– Immense variation in kastom due to cultural diversity
– Variation in Christianity, particularly across
denominations
• 85% of land is customary land, held according to
“current customary usage”
• Remaining land is freehold land or public land
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4. Kakabona
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5. Where are women active in decision-
making and dispute-resolution?
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6. Recommendations
• Improved legal literacy
• Improved information dissemination
(ie. of acquisition hearings,
distribution of royalties)
• Improved knowledge of kastom
(custom)
• Separate hearings for a range of
groups (ie chiefs, ‘other men’,
women…)
• Encourage (mandate?) women
trustees (particularly in matrilineal
systems)
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