PNG has operated in defiance of a constitutional direction for 33 years. Now there’s a sobering thought. This extraordinary circumstance was made public last Thursday by the Public Solicitor, in Bougainville to witness the opening of the Buka courthouse.
***
GOOD morning. According to Mr Frazer Pitpit, 15 of the nation’s provinces are presently without public solicitors – and that includes the NCD. The Constitution requires offices of the public solicitor to be established in each of the PNG provinces. The Public Solicitor appealed to ABG president Joseph Kabui to assist in the opening of such an office in Bougainville.
***
IN order to guarantee that justice is available to everyone, all citizens must be equally represented by the State – and that’s vital for the ordinary villager, who can’t afford an expensive private solicitor. We hope that the rediscovery of this black hole in our justice system will lead to the establishment or restoration of PubSol services throughout PNG.
***
WE’VE all read of the 32-year-old PNG wife who was savagely tortured in the couple’s home for four days before dying of her wounds and injuries. Yet despite the alleged murderer, who was the dead woman’s husband, being allegedly seen armed with a bushknife at a market, he has yet to be arrested.
***
NO matter what the dangers of apprehending this violent suspect may be, we urge the local police force to apprehend and charge him. Aggrieved relatives of the slaughtered women have so far remained on the right side of the law, but cannot reasonably be expected to do so indefinitely.
***
IT’S no good airily dismissing opposition to road construction. The latest protesting voice to go public is that of the Gulf’s Sepoe Karava. Mr Karava is no aspiring politician; he’s a widely respected former premier of the Gulf province and his experience of provincial inter-relationships has been long and in some cases, bitter.
***
MR Karava has described the proposed highway between the Highlands and the Gulf as “social genocide” for his people. If you haven’t already done so, read Mr Karava’s remarks in full in The National yesterday. They’re worthy of your attention. Cheers!
***

- Dee Nesenolis