By LUTHER SCAT LAMANG
A RESIDENTIAL judge of the Kokopo National Court has said that East New Britain province still have significant problems associated with the consumption of homebrew, marijuana and abuse of alcohol.
Justice Greg Lay made these remarks during the opening of the legal year by members of the province’s legal fraternity, at the Bitavavar United church in Kokopo last Friday.
Justice Lay said ENB still suffered heavily from problems associated with the abuse of alcohol and drugs and that those intoxicating substances had devastating effects especially on the young population in the province.
“Youths and young men intoxicated out of their minds do things which they later regret and which sometimes change the whole course of their lives for the worse.”
Justice Lay said the change of the course of someone’s life happened particularly if it resulted in a permanent injury or for being in longer periods in jail.
He said homebrew had a long history in the province in a limited way, which for that reason, village leaders did not consider it to be a serious problem with young men.
He also challenged police personnel to fight the problem saying that they had a large and difficult role to play, not just in suppressing the consumption of illegal drugs but in educating village people of the dangers that those drugs present.
The judge also revealed that there had also been some problem with the judiciary staff for abuse of alcohol in workplace, resulting in one being dismissed from the office.
“At the National Court, the consumption of alcohol is completely banned, and one staff was dismissed last year, to serve as a warning to others,” the judge said.
Justice Lay said that the consumption of alcohol during working hours or on court premises would not be tolerated.