6 new judges named

By SHEILA LASIBORI
SIX new magistrates have been appointed from a total of 43 applications that were lodged with the PNG Magisterial Services this year.
The applications were from practising lawyers throughout the country.
Chief magistrate John Numapo last Friday revealed the outcome of the screening process where the six were selected from the total 16 that were short-listed.
Mr Numapo said the names of the three males and three females had been withheld until they were officially sworn in.
The appointment was done by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (LJSC) last month, and this now brings to 106 the total of serving magistrates, excluding the late Port Moresby District Court senior magistrate Ivo Cappo.
“The six have been advised of their appointments already. They have good number of years practising as lawyers which was also one of the pre-requisite requirements to be appointed a magistrate,” Mr Numapo said.
The orientation programme for the new magistrates under the PNGMS’ progression development training programnme will be conducted in Port Moresby from Nov 26 to 29 and will continue for the next three years.
The training will be conducted by a team of judicial trainers from Australia which will include Victoria State’s chief magistrate Ian Grey.
The other trainers will be from the New South Wales judicial commission (NSWJC) which will consist of NSW deputy chief magistrate Paul Cloran, magistrate David Heilpern and director of judicial training Ruth Windeler.
The programme will cost the PNGMS approximately K1.6 million which will mostly be funded by AusAID through the law and justtice sector programme (LJSP) with the remaining cost to be met by PNGMS.
The programme was a result of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Mr Numapo and NSWJC chief executive officer Ernie Schmatt last September in Australia.
Mr Numapo also said several newly-appointed magistrates from Solomon Islands will also attend the orientation programme which would be facilitated under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on PNG judicial assistance programme to the SI Judiciary.