Colonial Laws

The report provides an up-to-date status of all the colonial or adopted laws the country introduced before Independence in 1975. The report is important for two reasons. It provides historical context within which the pre-independence laws were adopted and justify why these laws needed to be reformed. The report also guides the Commission and the Government to reform colonial laws identified in this report in a coordinated manner.

Chairman of the Constitutional Law Reform Commission (CLRC). Dr. Eric Kwa, said they have identified them and will be reviewing all colonial laws.

The Civil Registry and Identification Act of 1963 is one of them to be reviewed and now the regional consultation taking place.

Dr. Kwa said like many other the Civil Registry and Identification Act of 1963 and the other 376 are colonial laws based on the context of Australia and do not reflect our own society.

The reviews aim to contextualize them to suit PNG.

The colonial laws are part of 1,861 laws which will be reviewed by the Constitutional Law Reform Commission.

CLRC Chairman, Dr Eric Kwa, says he has been instructed by the Government to carry out the review, including the colonial laws which are of British and Australian origin.

“So we are to transform 1, 389 laws, that’s from Independence up, and then 522 colonial laws, and we have been asked to develop new laws.”