Joseph D. Foukona is from Solomon Islands. Supportive of his nation’s status as a developing country, many of his research interests promote its cause. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy – awarded through the Australian National University (ANU) Education Fellowship Scheme. He joined the staff of USP Law School at the end of 2004. He has a LLB, an LLM, PDLP and GDTT from USP and an LLM from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Joseph is currently in the final stages of completing a PhD on land law reform at ANU. His PhD research matches closely his keen personal interest in finding solutions to the seemingly intractable problem of the alignment in Melanesia between customary land tenure systems on one hand and state legislation, land administration and commercial demands on the other. He is a leading Solomon Islands legal academic with a strong record in university and professional teaching and mentoring. He has been very active as a facilitator of land awareness programs in his own home community on Malaita, Solomon Islands, and working with the Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission on low and high water mark legislation. He also has undertaken research on customary land tenure, climate change and relocation, urban land, land reform and governance issues. Through research, training and experience Joseph has detailed working knowledge of land law, land issues and development in Solomon Islands. His work has been recognised through professional associations, publications and academic awards.

Law and development, customary land tenure, climate change and relocation/resettlement, land law and history, South Pacific legal systems, Property Law, Equity and Trust Law.