Alfred Luke Manase

Justice Stephen Kassman made the comments after Alfred Luke Manase’s lawyer, Christine Copland, told the court they were not notified of the urgent application coming to Court on Sunday nor yesterday morning.

They became aware of the urgent application returning via newspaper reports describing it as an ambush on the part of Polye’s lawyer, Paulus Doa.

Doa, who was out of Port Moresby on the weekend, had another lawyer, John Napu, step in for him on Sunday, making an appearance before Justice Kassman. Polye was also in court on Sunday at 1.30pm with Napu.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court ordered a re-count of all ballot boxes, including the 5 boxes that were disputed, in the Kandep Open election of 2012.

Justices Allen David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit, in a unanimous decision, upheld the two separate Supreme Court election petition reviews that were filed by Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase.

Justices Allen David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit in a unanimous decision upheld the two separate Supreme Court Election Petition Reviews that were filed by Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase.

The three-judge Supreme Court bench quashed order 1 of the National Court Election Petition that set aside Polye’s election as member elect for Kandep.  

The Supreme Court also ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct a re-count of the ballot papers within the next 30 days.

The trial was adjourned from last week Monday after it was brought to the court’s attention that the consolidated review books did not contain a court transcript.

Parties in the trial are expected to appear before Justices Allan David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit for hearing.

The consolidated Election Petition Reviews were filed by political rivals, Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase. Both contested for the Kandep Open seat in the 2012 General Elections.

The consolidated Election Petition Reviews were filed by political rivals, Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase. Both contested for the Kandep open seat in the 2012 General Elections.

The trial will come before Justices Allan David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit for hearing today and tomorrow (Aug 15 and 16).

On July 4 the same bench stayed the National Court’s decision to set aside Polye’s election as member elect for Kandep Open on May 2, pending the determination of the substantive reviews.

The two Supreme Court election petition reviews filed by Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase will return for directions before a Single judge. Review books will now be settled in preparation for the substantive hearing. A date will be set for that hearing on Monday.

On Friday a three-judge Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Allan David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit handed down their decisions on four preliminary applications filed by applicants in the two reviews.

Each party in the case filed two applications that were ruled on yesterday (Friday July 8).

The Supreme Court will hear and determine the consolidated review that has four applications filed before it proceeds to hearing the substantive issue. Each party in the case has filed two applications.

The matter came for directions today where Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia directed Supreme Court registry to prepare the appeal books.

Parties are expected to file extracts of arguments by next Monday (June 26).