High Court quashes Gawi’s jail term

The Supreme Court has quashed the six-week sentence of Modilon General Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Sr. Christine Gawi for contempt of court.

A three judge Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Collin Makail, Derek Hartshorn and Hitalai Polume granted the appeal of Sr. Christine Gawi against Justice David Canning’s decision on August 2015 at the Madang National Court.

The Supreme Court today quashed the decision of the Madang National Court however it ordered Sr. Gawi to pay a  fine of  K5, 000.

Gawi was found guilty by the National Court for contempt of court for disobeying an order of the National Court, dated  January 22, 2014.

The order required Gawi in her capacity as the CEO of Modilon General Hospital to reinstate the plaintiff (a dismissed officer), Sr.  Elizabeth Mandus Wukawa by  February  5, 2014.

It also ordered Gawi to pay Wukawa’s lost salaries and entitlements by March 5, 2014.

Gawi disobeyed the order by not reinstating the plaintiff by 5 February 2014.

On August 19,2015 she was found guilty by the National Court and sentence to six weeks in prison at the Beon Correctional Institution for Contempt of court.

She later challenged that decision in the Supreme Court through an appeal that went in her favour.

Gawi’s appeal in the Supreme Court was on the ground that she was given faulty legal advice then.

 

Author: 
Sally Pokiton