Council seeks judicial review

 THE Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG is questioning the manner in which legislation to set up a Lutheran university in Lae was hastily repealed by Parliament in November 2014 without its knowledge, church documents reveal.

The ELC-PNG Church Council has decided to seek judicial review on the Lutheran University (Amendment) Act 2014, documents obtained by The National say.

“Through church’s lawyers, the council sought leave to apply for judicial review at the Waigani National Court,” the report said.

“The application was unsuccessful because the National Court considers it (court) does not have the authority to deal with this matter. 

“A higher court – the Supreme Court – may give a possible avenue for ELC-PNG Church Council to seek a review on a government legislation.   

“The ELC-PNG lawyers now await the Church Council decision to pursue a judicial review in the Supreme Court.”

Parliament in March 2012 enacted the LUPNG Act 2012. 

At the same time Parliament repealed the LUPNG Act 2006 through a provision in the LUPNG Act 2012.