Library users given access to law reports

NATIONAL Library users will now have access to privileged reports that were the basis of changes to major laws such as the Organic Law on provincial and local level governments and the Electronic Transaction Bill.
This was after the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) for the first time since its inception in 2004, presented two copies each of its publications to the National Library yesterday, as legal deposits which is a requirement under the National Library and Archives Act 1993.
The commission will then be able to distribute more copies of these publications to schools and higher institutions in Port Moresby.
“Basically, these reports provide the basis for the changes in laws and they answer the question why the changes were made and what issue it aimed to address,” CLRC acting deputy secretary Nomison Napo said.
He said the public could now access the National Library to read about the basis for the changes of law which had been produced after a wide consultative process.
The final report on the inquiry into the Organic Law on provincial and local level governments, and the submitted publications, including reports on reviews on the committal proceedings; indictable offences trialable summarily; ex parte proceedings; incorporated land group and design of system of voluntary customary land registration; environmental and mining laws relating to management and disposal of tailings; and, proof of business and electronic records which resulted in the Electronic Transaction Bill scheduled to go before Parliament.
Monographs and other minor publications were delivered to the library which will all be kept at the PNG collections of the National Library for reference purposes.