Court throws out SRC case

 By DEMAS TIEN
THE court has dismissed a judicial review application by the University of PNG Student Representative Council (SRC) challenging the decision of the university council on May 24 to evict the students from the Waigani and Taurama campuses within 48 hours.
In a ruling yesterday, Justice Collin Makail found that lawyer Laken Aigilo, representing the SRC, did not appear in court when the case was mentioned on June 22 and yesterday.
The court dismissed the case due to SRC’s failure to show interest in pursuing it.
Lawyer representing the university council told the court that the matter could not proceed further because the 2016 academic year was terminated.
The court summarily determined the case and dismissed it for want of prosecution.
The court ordered that the SRC pay the cost of the judicial review application.
The SRC filed the judicial review on May 25 after the university council decided on May 24 to evict the students from the Waigani and Taurama campuses within 48 hours.
The UPNG council decision was made at the height of the prolonged boycott of classes..
The court allowed the judicial review to proceed after it was satisfied that the SRC had sufficient interest in the case.
The court found that the students’ welfare has been affected by the council’s decision and that SRC had the right to file the case on behalf of the student body.