Plural policing and access to justice in Pacific Small Island Developing States: a Tuvaluan case study

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) present unique challenges and opportunities for law enforcement. Characteristics such as strong communal ties, social and cultural norms, limited state visibility, and strained resources impact the interpretation and application of state laws. At the same time, local legitimacy is often found in community-oriented approaches to policing and tailored law enforcement responses through parallel policing systems. While most research on plural policing in the Pacific SIDS has considered the larger Pacific Island countries in Melanesia, this paper focuses on how plural systems of law-and-order maintenance impact policing in Tuvalu, a microstate in Polynesia. Key stakeholders (N = 23) including religious leaders, police officers and leaders, and community leaders from Tuvalu participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the significance of informal networks in influencing policing decisions. This influence has implications for action on the access to justice agenda, particularly concerning the use of police authority, equitable law enforcement practices, accountability, and fairness. The findings contribute to more inclusive discussions of plural policing and its nuanced impacts on access to justice in the Pacific SIDS.