Judge opens legal year

 The 2014 legal year for Enga was officially opened in Porgera on Monday.

This was the first time the mining township hosted such an important event where over 2000 people, including district administrator Mori Iarume, acting mine manager Brand Christov, Porgera council president, Leo Kuala and district law and order chairman Aken Puluku attended.

The ceremony started at the Porgera district court and saw policemen from Porgera and CIS officers from Mt Hagen marching Enga’s resident judge, Justice Kewei Kawai-iu and delegates  including lawyers, magistrates, court staff, guests, leaders and members from the community, to the Ipili Sports complex where a police guard of honour and inspection by the judge was done. 

Justice Kawai-iu, in his keynote address, said normally the legal year openings are done in the main provincial centres but he decided to have it in Porgera while he was in the district for national court circuit this week.

He said the opening of the legal year was basically to seek blessing from God for the courts to make right decisions for the people.

He said the court was there to ensure there was peace and harmony in the community.

Justice Kawai-iu urged the people to respect each other and live a harmonious life. 

He appealed to police, correctional service officers, magistrates and court officials to be honest and work hard when carrying out their duties.

 Iarume, on behalf of the community in the district, thanked Justice Kawai-iu for choosing Porgera to open the legal year for Enga.

He said it was a first time for the people of Porgera to witness such special occasion. 

He thanked the Justice Department for sending judges to Porgera for the national court circuits for the past years.