Judge to visit Manus facility

NATIONAL Court judge Justice David Cannings is expected to travel to Manus later this month to conduct an inquiry into asylum seekers detained there.
Cannings will be in Madang today to hear applications from interested parties who want to be part of the proceedings in Manus. He expects to be in Manus from March 17 to 21.
Cannings indicated yesterday that the hearing in Lorengau would be devoted to a “reception of evidence in court sittings at the Lorengau court house and a site visit and inspection of the regional processing centre”.
The final stage of the hearing will be in Waigani from March 24.
He intends to close the inquiry by delivering judgment by the end of March.
Meanwhile, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay will call on Australia to review its treatment of asylum seekers and its agreement with PNG after last month’s violence on Manus Island.
It will part of an address to the Human Rights Council session in Geneva today.
Pillay will say the violence on Manus Island underscores the need to review the resettlement arrangements signed by Australia with PNG and Nauru.
‘’To ensure that the human rights of migrants and asylum seekers are fully protected in accordance with international law,’’ she will say.