Lawyers urged to use rule book

By JULIA DAIA BORE
ALL lawyers appearing before the Supreme Court must ensure they have the updated Supreme Court Rules Book to guide them during their daily court
matters, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia told lawyers appearing before him at a hearing on Tuesday.
Sir Salamo said this at a court hearing when he asked: “Any of you lawyers here got the new Supreme Court Rules Book?”
But when there was no response from members of the counsel from both sides or from others in the packed courtroom, the Chief Justice announced that: “If you don’t, then I suggest you do; because, this book”,  holding up a copy of the rule book, “is your bread and butter”.
Meanwhile, Sir Salamo also presided over the brief hearing in relation to the recent renomination and election by parliament of Governor-General-elect Michael Ogio.
Plaintiff Ronald Rimbao had taken the clerk of parliament Don Pandan, as first defendant, and acting speaker of parliament Francis Marus, as second defendant, and the state, as third defendant, to court.
In essence, Rimbao is challenging the governor-general’s election  on Jan 14 as unconstitutional and therefore, a nullity.
Lawyers for the other parties, however, did not turn up, resulting in the matter being adjourned to tomorrow to enable the other parties to be
present in court.
The court was also reminded that failure by lawyers from all the parties in the court challenge to be present would lead to the matter to be heard as exparte.
Outside court, private lawyer Philip Ame, who is representing Rimbao, said he had served the relating court documents to all parties involved in the case on Jan 28 “so they would have been aware of the court proceedings.”
The other lawyers in the case are the solicitor general, who is to represent the state, and Kelly Naru Lawyers to represent the acting speaker and the national parliament.