Michael Waipo

JSC first workshop training after its launching was held at Igam Barracks in Lae, Morobe Province.

This is the first time after more than 36 years that the JSC training workshop is being held after it was shelved.

The same training workshop is being conducted at the Correctional Service Training College for officers from the three disciplinary forces involving the forces regulations and laws as well as operations and functions of the JSC.

This is because the number of prisoners in all correctional institutions in PNG is three times the total number of correctional officers throughout the country.

The total number of detainees throughout the country is over 4,000 while the number of Correctional Service officers stands at 1,451.

With the population increasing, the number of prisoners is also increasing.

The Supreme Court gave Nepo until July 22 to prepare appeal books and also obtain the National Court audio transcripts from May 5.

Nepo’s appeal is challenging the decision of the National Court, which was handed down by Justice Collin Makail on May 5, quashing his appointment as acting Commissioner and reinstating Michael Waipo as Correctional Service Commissioner.

On June 24, a three-judge Supreme Court bench dismissed an application filed by Nepo seeking to stay that National Court decision and reinstate him to office as Commissioner Correctional Service.

This follows the lengthy submissions presented yesterday by parties involved.

The court will hear an application from National Court re-instated commissioner, Michael Waipo challenging the competency of Ben Nepo’s appeal that was heard yesterday.

Yesterday Nepo’s asked the court to stay the National Court’s decision of May 5 reinstating Michael Waipo as Correctional Service Commissioner.

Speaking to media outside the Waigani Court house, Nepo said the court has made a decision but the government of the day has appointed him as the commissioner.

Nepo said the court is basically there to interpret the law and it does not “have the power to appoint a person because the government of the day appoints”.

“I am a servant of the government and that legitimate government appointed me as the Commissioner, I am sure that the public know that I am the commissioner,” Nepo said despite the court ruling otherwise.

Nepo's lawyer came before the Supreme Court today with an application seeking the same court to halt its earlier decision.

The application was brought before the attention of the same judge who stayed Michael Waipo's termination.

Justice Terrence Higgins adjourned Nepo's application generally to the registry due to jurisdiction issues.

He said with the matter previously dealt by him, he would not have the jurisdiction to overthrow his own decision.

He said the application should go before a three man Supreme Court bench due to jurisdiction issues.

Currently, word from the ground is that staff have been refused access into the office.

 The court-reinstated CS Commissioner Michael Waipo has confirmed with Loop PNG that he is also on the ground and waiting for legal advice on how to proceed.

For now, CS officers can be seen around their HQ office gates.