Injia: Return to basics
The National, Tuesday February 2nd, 2016
CHIEF Justice Sir Salamo Injia has called on the disciplined forces to return to the basics by serving the people in the country.
He issued this challenge at the opening of the 41st legal year at the Four Square Church in Kaugere, Port Moresby, yesterday.
“The concept of back to basics is the only way this country is going to move forward and advance,” Sir Salamo said.
He said that the judiciary, disciplined forces and institutions of the Law and Justice Sector had a constitutional duty to maintain peace, harmony, unity and security of the country.
“If we don’t get our basics in order, you can forget about the rest. The basic things are the simplest things that you can imagine. It won’t cost much, we all know what it is and we forget them or chose to ignore them.”
Sir Salamo said if the country was going to develop like the rest of the world, then the basics must be done.
He gave an example of the basic responsibility of a judge who spent most of his time in a court room providing service to the people.
“If you’re not present in the community, you cannot maintain peace and harmony by remote control.”
Sir Salamo also said the opening of the legal year was a time to reflect on the past 40 years of the country’s independence and to consider the future.
“The security of this country, and maintenance of the rule of law in this country, maintenance of peace and harmony, is the joint effort of all the law and justice sector agencies in this country including the Defence Force.”
Members of the Defence Force, Police and the Correctional Services took part in a combined paraded.
They led the judges, magistrates, lawyers and their staff on a five -minute march from the Kaugere Oval into the church.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki and CS Commissioner Michael Waipo then accompanied Sir Salamo to inspect a guard of honour.
Senior pastor for the Kaugere Four Square Church Rodney Tomuriesa officiated during the ecumenical mass and urged members of the legal fraternity to put God first in their work.