AG explains special court reference request

THE Supreme Court special reference requested by the Government is to correct the confusion created in an earlier court decision on a vote of no confidence against the prime minister, Parliament was told.
Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Davis Steven was responding to a question from Komo-Margarima MP Manase Makiba if the case filed this week was a deliberate move to suppress the planned vote of no-confidence motion.
Steven welcomed the opportunity to put to rest for “the sensationalised issues of court proceedings that is going on, on an important Supreme Court reference that has been decided based on proper legal assessment and legal option, and assessed to be very important for the processes of Parliament and in the interest of the three arms of Government”.
He said under the Standing Orders, he would refrain from going too deeply into the case now before the court.
On whether the proceeding was a political ploy or abuse of the court process, he said the issues now raised related to two earlier references filed by the former Opposition leader Don Polye and the other by the People National Congress Party “in respect to the same matters of law of important constitutional issues”.
He said people should understand that the Attorney-General could seek an interpretation of important constitutional laws issues from the Supreme Court.