Sir Gibbs Salika has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea for a term of 10 years.
In making the announcement of Justice Salika’s appointment, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill thanked outgoing Chief Justice, Sir Salamo lnjia for his decade of service to the nation in the position.
He said as Papua New Guinea continues to develop and the economy expand, the appointment was a very good decision to ensure the strength and vitality of the judiciary.
“Justice Salika is the longest serving judge of the National and Supreme Courts and will be a strong and independent Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea.
“I congratulate Justice Salika on his appointment and I am confident he will provide the sound leadership required of the Chief Justice.
“Through our history, Papua New Guinea has demonstrated that we have a strong and vibrant democracy based on rule of law.
“The Chief Justice is required to administer the Judiciary independent of the Executive Government and the National Parliament as the other two arms of Government.
“Through this system of governance, our nation has remained strong and unified while other countries have experienced problems."
Mr O'Neill added that a resilient and independent judiciary gives confidence to the global community and the private sector and this stimulates investment and economic development.
The Prime Minister further expressed gratitude, on behalf of the nation, for the tireless efforts of outgoing Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, with the expiry of his term.
“Sir Salamo Injia, has been a source of great stability and judicial independence over the past decade as the Chief Justice of our nation, and throughout his previous decades of service.
“As Chief Justice, he has faced many challenging and complex decisions, and has provided strong direction for our judiciary.
“I thank him for his service and wish him every success in his life after such an esteemed career.”