Changes to strenthen village courts

 THE National Executive Council has endorsed proposed changes to the Village Courts Act that would enhance efficiency and the administrative process of the courts.

The Village Courts Act 1989 is to be amended and titled Village Courts (Amendment) Act 2015 to reflect the change.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said one of the main aims of the change was to remove the powers to appoint village court clerks and peace officers from the provincial administrators and vest it with the director of the Village Courts and Land Mediation Secretariat.

“The village courts exist in PNG as formal courts using informal and peaceful customary ways of settling and addressing minor crimes and the village courts legislation is the foundation of an effective law and order service delivery system at the local level,”  O’Neill said.

He said in 2014, Parliament passed the Village Courts (Amendment) Act 2014 but it could not be implemented due to certain provisions of the legislation not in favour of the Village Courts and Land Mediation Secretariat’s intention to manage the system effectively.

“To fix these problems, NEC has now directed the First Legislative Council to amend Sections 22 and 25 of the Village Courts Act 1989 to remove the powers from the provincial administrators and vest them in the director of Village Courts and Land Mediation Secretariat,” he said.

“That is the power to appoint and suspend or revoke the village court clerks and deputy clerks.

“The changes will also see the smooth transition and responsibility of paying the village court clerks and officials and their appointment done by an independent body,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill said the appointing authority for the village courts chairman, deputy chairman and magistrate would remain as the responsibility of the Minister for Justice.

“The proposed amendment to the Village Courts Act 1989 is one of the Government’s major policy initiatives to deliver basic government services and improve law and order in the districts and village levels,” he said.