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JUSTICE Mark Sevua has stepped down as the
judge managing election petitions.
At least four election petitions to be heard yesterday by Justice Sevua
were deferred, with the court diary showing that a new judge was to be
announced to preside over these petitions.
Justice Sevua hinted at stepping aside while hearing some petitions on
Monday.
He remarked in one of the sessions that any queries about his absence
should be taken up with the chief justice.
In his remarks, Justice Sevua did not reveal his reasons why he was
stepping aside from managing the election petitions.
Waigani National and Supreme Court officials were tight-lipped about
Justice Sevua’s unavailability when contacted yesterday.
A senior registry officer described it as rumours and denied that
Justice Sevua had stepped down.
Attorney-General Dr Allan Marat when contacted, said he was not aware of
the judge stepping down.
Since being appointed judge to manage the petitions, Justice Sevua has
demanded strict compliance with election petition rules.
Under the amended rules governing election petitions, which came into
effect on Sept 18, 2007, Justice Sevua continued to warn lawyers and
petitioners that the new amendments under Rule 18 empowered the court to
dismiss petitions for non-compliance of the rules on technical grounds.
So far, Justice Sevua has dismissed six election petitions on the
grounds of non-compliance of the rules.
While hearing a petition before him last Friday, Justice Sevua accused a
senior lawyer Rimbink Pato of ‘judge hopping’ when he learned that a
case he expected to hear had gone before Justice Ambeng Kandakasi.
The National quoted the judge’s remarks which appeared in yesterday’s
edition.
This led to Justice Kandakasi issuing an order for the Editor-in-Chief
Daniel Korimbao and the author of the article to appear before him this
morning.
The order was made after lawyer Alfred Manase, standing in for Mr Pato,
told the judge yesterday that the contents of the article caused their
client Francis Awesa anxiety.
 
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