Apointed as Judge of the Supreme Court since 15 July 2019.
Justice Trief is the first Ni-Vanuatu woman to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Vanuatu. She is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand with a Bachelor of Tourism & Services Management (BTSM)(1999) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB)(2000). She also holds a Master of Public Policy (2011) from the Australian National University. Justice Trief gained admission as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand on 25 May 2001. She was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Vanuatu in 2004 and unconditionally registered as a legal practitioner on 27 August 2008.
Justice Trief’s legal background included 16 years’ service in the Vanuatu State Law Office. She was the Solicitor General of the Republic of Vanuatu from 2009-2017, the first woman to be appointed to that position.
Immediately prior to joining the Judiciary, Justice Trief was one of two team leaders for the Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Program (VAPJP), also known as the Stretem Rod Blong Jastis mo Sefti program, alongside the Program Coordinator (Policing). In this role, she provided high level strategic advice to the Vanuatu Ministry of Justice and Community Services and jointly managed and coordinated Australian assistance under the program in close collaboration with the Program Coordinator (Policing).