Application dismissed

THE Waigani Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by the attorney-general at the time, Davis Steven, seeking to stay two Supreme Court decisions that ruled in favour of the operator of Porgera gold mine Barrick Niugini Ltd (BNL).
The stay application was filed in a section 19 special reference which Steven had filed in his capacity as the attorney-general, raising point of law on discovery of documents that were non-justiciable and an amendment Supreme Court had granted to Barrick Nuigini.
Steven seeks to stay the judgements and orders of the two Supreme Court decisions pending the determination of the special reference.
A five-man bench comprising Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, Justice George Manuhu, Justice Thomas Anis, Justice Derek Hartshorn and Justice Collin Makail dismissed the stay application yesterday.
The judges ruled that the Supreme Court did not have the jurisdiction to hear any appeal from another Supreme Court and did not have the inherent power to review any judicial acts of the Supreme Court.