Vanuatu's chieftains to benefit from Manchester solicitor

A retired Manchester solicitor is this week flying out to lend her expertise to a developing country establishing its legal system.

Judith Hetherington, a former partner in litigation firm Hibbert Pownall & Newton, is taking part in Voluntary Service Overseas' two-year project in Vanuatu, a South Pacific island where the laws have been created by chieftains and passed by the government but still need recording.

Ms Hetherington will work in the state law office collating and drafting legislation, while husband Alistair takes up a post in the auditor general's department using his skills as a former partner with Ernst & Young.Ms Hetherington said her main aim is to leave a legacy of open access to law for the public.

'I am most interested in teaching and passing on these skills to people who can then draft legislation when I have left,' she explained.'I will also research new law policies on domestic violence, family law, and guns, and act as a mentor for law graduates by helping them choose their specific fields.'Paula Rohan