Lawyers

Niningi said lawyers are paid to do their job and this behaviour of asking for additional allowance must be stopped. 

He said this during the announcement ceremony of the new Acting Solicitor General yesterday in Port Moresby.

“I’m warning the lawyers to take it seriously that this cut business is not going to be practised anymore,” he said.

Comprising of eight Royal Papua New Guinea Police Officers and two lawyers from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, a total of 10 officers have undergo this prestigious Prosecution Residential School program for nine months and were issued certificates recently.

They are part of the 5^th batch of trainers who have undergone the Prosecution Residential School program initiated by the Papua New Guinea – Australia Policing Partnership or PNG – APP.

The workshop on Civil and Criminal Advocacy was made possible by the involvement of members from the Victorian Bar in Australia and support from the Australian Government, as part of the PNG-Australia Partnership.

The workshop aimed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to become effective courtroom advocates in civil and criminal law cases.

Facilitated by 14 members of the Victorian Bar, including esteemed retired judges like Chris Maxwell AC and Peter Riordan, the workshop received support from the LTI team and the PNG Law Society.

This is the 16th consecutive year for the barristers from the Victorian Bar to conduct a Civil and Criminal Advocacy Workshop at the Legal Training Institute (LTI), giving students insights into how to prepare for court and advocate on behalf of their clients.

LTI Director Pauline Mogish said the involvement of the Victorian Bar had been crucial to developing the court skills of a generation of PNG lawyers.

The service began with the a march from the Boreboa Primary school gates at North Waigani, down to the PNG Bible Church, just before Morata.

Judges, Magistrates, lawyers and staff of the National Judiciary and Magisterial services took time off this morning to open the year 2019 with a dedication service led by Rev. Moresby Tunge.

But before that, an inspection of the guards was done by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika. This is also his first as the head of the judiciary.

In delivering his keynote address, he stressed on discipline and having strong work ethics.

The Legal Training Institute Director, Mrs Pauline Mogish, told graduates this morning at the 12th graduation ceremony to be positive and focus on the basics.

She outlined for graduates to remember the 5 Ps: "Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

Mogish highlighted the need for graduates to note that as long as they are mindful of the simple basics of their training and keep to the simple proper aspects of their professional life, they will go far.

Despite this week seeing Supreme Court sittings held at Waigani, other lower courts were quiet.

Most cases in the National Court were deferred while in Port Morebsy, the District Court saw matters deferred to other dates on Tuesday and Friday, mainly due to the engagement of police prosecutors in the security operation for NCD polling.

In East New Britain, a grandfather was sentenced to 39 years in prison for the persistent sexual abuse of his two granddaughters by the Kokopo National Court.

He said the country’s judiciary system has been brought into question following the arrest of a senior lawyer and one of the country’s senior judges.

“We must not allow the rule of law, the constitution, organic law and the acts of Parliament, among others, to erode,” Polye warned.

He also urged young lawyers coming out of the law school not to deviate from defending the constitution.

He said they must live by the principles of law, which is derived from the Word of God.

The 89 lawyer trainees graduated this morning from the institute which included four students from the Solomon Islands.

Chief Justice and Chairman of LTI Counsel Sir Salamo Injia told the students to let the law take its course, especially when violence was becoming prevalent in societies in solving problems.

“Let the law take its course, don’t take the law into your own hands. The rule of law rests with obedience to the rule of law,” he said.

He  has asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs Rimbink Pato and Attorney General and Minister for Justice Ano Pala to talk with the Australians  about the comments made by two lawyers that were aired on overseas media in the past week.

He is referring to prominent private lawyers Greg Sheppard and Harvey Maladina of Young and Williams law firm.

Mr Sheppard denied claims of impropriety when he spoke with PNG media last Thursday and said he was merely responding to general questions from a visitor about how to handle situations.