Sir Salamo Injia

This Bill will see the Court of Appeals come between the National and Supreme Court. The third and final reading of the Bill was supposed to have gone through in the last sitting of Parliament, however, that was not done.  It remains on parliament’s list of unfinished business.

“I’m not particularly happy with the way the passage of that constitution amendment has taken place in the last term of parliament and I’m hopeful the third reading will take place in the current term of parliament,” Sir Salamo said.

Justice Berna Collier and Justice John Alexander Logan will now serve the PNG Justice System for another term; making it their 3^rd term.

Their first engagement was in 2011 following an MoU signed between the Federal Court of Australia and PNG.    

Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea, Sir Salamo Injia, said Justice Collier and Justice Logan are serving judges of the Federal Court of Australia with speciality in civil and commercial litigation.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia during directions hearing listed the reference to go in the October Supreme Court sitting for summary determination or judgment to be entered without a full trial or hearing taking place by all parties.

It will come before court on October 31 for determination.

The reference seeks interpretation of section 50 of the Constitution (Right To Vote And Stand For Public Office) and section 153A of the Organic Law on National and Local Level Government Elections (Excluding Ballot-Box From Scrutiny) remains.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said this when granting a request made by the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia during the two-day judges’ workshop on election petition.

Sir Salamo made a request to Commissioner Gamato to provide those documents to the Court registry from all the electorates for their records in preparation for the upcoming election petitions.

“We will make it available this election,” Gamato told the judges.

The request was made after lawyers gave a perspective of election petitions during the workshop.

Payments for service, independent appointment of village court officials and designated areas to carry out court functions are three areas that need improvement in the village court level.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia outlined these areas of concerns during his recent visit to Bereina in Central Province, saying they are areas that the government must look into as areas of concerns.

This is because the village courts hear 80 percent of disputes at the village level before it goes to the district courts or the higher courts.

The week also saw the issue over the Hagen Returning officer come before the Supreme Court for hearing, a day after candidates disrupted flights into Mt Hagen.

The week ended with the Chief Justice visiting the Bereina district in Central for the first time to see for himself the next project where the Judiciary will be upgrading its facilities.

Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape’s election by members of the Hela Provincial Assembly as Hela Governor  was declared void by the Waigani National Court the third time on Wednesday.

That dispute was solved in 2015 and the Judiciary took all steps to come up with a new design, and a contract for the construction.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia said these when clearing the misconception on the delay of the project following a ground breaking ceremony for a new court complex for Wewak back in 2004.

“There are some misconception out there, that the money given to the judiciary, K10 million some years ago has gone missing,” he said.

A ground breaking ceremony will take place in Wewak this morning to commence construction works of this new Sub Regional Complex which will house both the National and Supreme Courts as well as District courts.

Heads of the Law and Justice sector including Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and Chief Magistrate Nerrie Eliakim are in Wewak for the event today.

Grand Chief Sir Micheal Somare will also be at the event.

Wewak MP and Correctional Servies Minister Jim Simatab and Town Mayor Charles Malenki will also be witnessing the ground breaking ceremony.

From an idea that came about more than 20 years ago during the time of Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet, the foundation phase of the new building commenced on Friday afternoon with a small but significant ceremony for the judiciary. 

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia officiated the ground breaking ceremony signifying the commencement of the main construction phase valued at K427 million which will culminate three separate courts.

Sir Salamo said the judiciary would like to see the building completed before the APEC meet so it can be commissioned during the event.

It aims to assist judges, magistrates, lawyers and other court users in civil procedures or cases in the National Court.

The book titled Civil Procedure in Papua New Guinea, National Court of Justice, is the second resource book under civil procedures.

The first was launched on December 21 last year. It was written by Sir Salamo and a retired judge, Gregory Lay.