Judge to be farewelled in court sitting

A ceremonial court sitting will be held on Wednesday at the Waigani National and Supreme Court grounds for the late Justice Salatiel Lenalia.

The sitting will take place from 9am before the casket can proceed to the Rev. Sione Kami Memorial church for the funeral service from 11am.

The senior residential judge of the East New Britain Province will be flown back to Kokopo on Thursday.

The main funeral service will be held on Friday in Kokopo, before the late judge’s casket is repatriated to New Ireland on Saturday.

He will be laid to rest in Lelet village, New Ireland, on Sunday, August 27.

The late Justice Lenalia passed away in Port Moresby on 15 August at 1:30am from the Pacific International Hospital after suffering from a heart attack.

He was medevac to Port Moresby from Kokopo on Saturday, August 12.

The late judge completed his Grade 10 in ENB at the George Brown High School in 1969 before joining the Department of Transport in Kavieng, where he worked as an administrative clerk.

He later joined the army in 1970 and by 15 August, 1974, he reached the corporal rank in the army.

By February 1975, he commenced his training with the magisterial services as a Local Court Magistrate at the Administrative College.

His first posting as a magistrate was to Chimbu in 1975. He later served in Goroka, Kainantu, East New Britain, Vanimo and even went as far as Vanuatu in his postings.

He served as a magistrate for 22 years prior to his appointment as an acting judge in the National Court on 15 February 1996.

On March 6, 2001, he was appointed a permanent judge of the National and Supreme Court.

He was serving his second 10-year term at his untimely passing.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, in a statement last week, extended the judiciary’s condolence to his wife, Sandy Lenalia, children and relatives. 

Author: 
Sally Pokiton