Australian lawyers appointed to serve in PNG courts

TWO Australian lawyers have been appointed by the PNG Judicial and Legal Services Commission to be judges of the Supreme Court and National Court.
Justice and Attorney-General Minister Davis Steven, the commission’s chairman, announced the appointments of Judge Royale Thompson and Judge Teresa Anne Berrigan yesterday.
Steven said they needed to fill vacancies to ensure stability in delivering judicial services.
He said the appointments of Justice Thompson and Justice Berrigan would bring the total number of judges (acting and permanent judges) to 46. Steven said it would strengthen the judiciary’s capacity to deal with the backlog of cases.
It will also enable the National Court to expand by placing judges in the provinces to conduct court circuits and sittings.
Justice Thompson graduated from the Australian National University with degrees in arts and law. She has vast experience in civil litigation.
Berrigan graduated from the Monash University in Melbourne with degrees in law and economics. She has vast experience in prosecutorial matters.