Judiciary needs more funds

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

THE judiciary needs a full budget appropriation from Parliament to improve the judicial services, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia says.

He said the common denominator for an effective judiciary was more funding so more judges could be recruited to improve the court and judicial facilities in the country.

But he said past governments had always reduced budget estimates for the judiciary.

He said with more judges and improved facilities, any action against the constitution and underlying laws would be dealt with properly.

He was speaking during the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission’s “underlying law” conference at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby yesterday.

He said the judiciary needed a full budget estimate for its operation but had kept silent over the years as a result of the financial crisis the country was going through.

He was referring to the devaluation of the kina since 1994.

“However since the country is experiencing unprecedented economic growth at a rate of five to 8%, I see no reason for the parliament to be reducing the judiciary budget estimate,” Sir Salamo said.

He also said the main impediment in the country was the lack of implementation and action in all sectors of the public service.

He said during his 30 or so years of legal practice in the country, there was a common culture across all sectors where there was little or no action.

“In my experience of 30 years of legal practice in PNG, I see that we talk. We talk and talk with little or no action. It’s a common culture.

“A change of action is required of all of us so we that see change in our society,” he said.