Focus on gender, family violence: CJ

By HELEN TARAWA
JUDGES and magistrates need to focus on gender and family violence when dealing with such cases, Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika says.
Sir Gibbs, pictured, told a Gender and Family Violence in National Court workshop in Port Moresby yesterday that judges and magistrates must ensure that the rights of the people were protected.
“All of us have a responsibility and a duty, and that is a constitutional mandate, to ensure that the rights of our people are protected at all times, whether it’s domestic violence or law and order on the streets,” he said.
“These are not new things. These are things that all judges are aware of that they exist.
“Human right is already in the minds of people and judges.
“They are not everyday things that people think of.
“It’s only when people come to court that we start thinking about it and doing something about it.”
Sir Gibbs said the suppression of human rights was bad.
“This two-day workshop will help us put on notice things we must turn our minds to when dealing with people – one person’s right against another person.
“They must not encroach on other people’s rights.”
Sir Gibbs said Papua New Guineans found it hard to understand that everyone had rights – which must not go against others’ rights.
“We still are struggling with these ideas. There is no law that tells us that we are entitled to our lives,” he said.
“This is inherent. When we are born, we have all those rights.
“It’s important for PNG to have the Human Rights properly recognised.
“We have a human rights track in PNG where special cases against Human Rights are dealt with by the judges.
“They are fast tracked by the judges dealing with it and the judges are doing the right thing to ensure that if the human rights are breached, they can be taken to court.
“Our people need to know that if they have been assaulted, one place for them to go to is the court.”