Staff of the Vanuatu Law Reform Commission (VLRC) have undertaken a half-day Continuing Legal Education (CLE) training on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for socio-legal research.
The training took place this week at the VLRC Conference Room in Port Vila and was facilitated by Professor Myranda Forsyth, a current Professor at the Australian National University (ANU) and former Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law at the USP Emalus Campus.
The half-day training session covered the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and NotebookLM.
While the use of these AI tools are still relatively new and staff are trying to adjust to using them, officers were encouraged to utilise AI as a supportive tool to strengthen their everyday work responsibilities.
“AI can assist socio-legal research in multiple ways, but it also carries significant dangers. These dangers can be mitigated by being aware of how the tool works and always checking and being ultimately responsible for the final outcome,” Mrs Forsyth said.
As AI tools are increasingly being used across workplaces, officers must learn to use them in ways that enhance their work and help reduce the pressures associated with heavy workloads, while at the same time maintaining professional ethics and producing efficient, high-quality work.
“I am happy to contribute to upskilling the VLRC with the skills necessary to perform their important role in Vanuatu,” Mrs Forsyth added.
One of the key highlights of the training was the use of effective prompts when engaging with AI tools and of which participants were also introduced to the R.C.T.F.R. framework, which stands for Role, Context, Task, Format, and Refine.
Acting Secretary of the VLRC, Mr Powrie Vire, said: “Trainings such as this are important as they help broaden the knowledge and strengthen the skills and capacity of each staff.”
Mr Vire further added that, “Such training will also improve the effectiveness and efficiency of each Division or Unit within VLRC. These types of trainings will not only help fast-track the work of the Commission but will also assist in elevating the overall standard and quality of written reports and comprehensive papers produced by the office.”
Meanwhile, this training is the second VLRC CLE session facilitated in 2026. The first CLE training was held in February and was facilitated by Professor Jennifer Corrin Care and Dr Sue Farran from the Universities of Queensland and Scotland.
VLRC believes that similar trainings will continue to build and enhance staff capacity, broaden professional skills, and strengthen the capabilities of its legal officers. The Commission encourages the continuation of such CLE trainings to further support the professional development of VLRC staff and improve the quality of research and reporting undertaken by the organisation.