Public Solicitor

Strengthening Public Solicitor assist aggrieved public

The aim of this decision is to assist aggrieved students and members of the public to seek court interpretations on new government decisions they feel have contravened the Constitution or the laws of the country.

Prime Minister James Marape told Parliament that the Government is looking at an avenue  to help students file complaints and seek legal interpretation through the Office of the Public Solicitor, on new government decisions that are seen to be against national interest.

K1.5m for public servants’ housing

The recently appointed Public Solicitor, Leslie Benjamin Mamu, presented a cheque to the YFIG Group of Companies on December 6th at the YFIG head office inside Kennedy Estate at Eight-Mile, Port Moresby.

The cheque was for the Institutional Housing Project, which will see the building of five houses in the Kennedy Estate compound.

This is the first of many to come.

Public Solicitor sworn in

Mamu was sworn in by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on Friday in Port Moresby.

The office of the Public Solicitor provides legal aid service ranging from criminal to civil, including family law.

Since the elevation of the former Public Solicitor (now Justice) Jim Wala Tamate to the National and Supreme Court bench, Leslie Mamu, was the acting Public Solicitor.

He was appointed Public Solicitor on July 30 by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

Powers of Public Service Commission tested

The reference, filed by the Acting Public Solicitor on 19 July, will question the powers of the Public Service Commission, if it has jurisdiction under section 191 of the Constitution to review any decision of the Public Solicitor or an officer or employee of the Public Solicitor’s office.

It was filed following the dismissal of one of its officers in August last year, who was later reinstated by the Public Service Commission on 22 June 2018 after a review.

Public Solicitor office needs funding and capacity

Funding and capacity has been an ongoing issue for years. In September the office was closed due to the non-payment of its rental, an issue that has since been rectified.

There has also been a lot of demand on the office with legal aid services ranging from criminal to civil to family law issues.