Magistrate: Manpower shortage worrisome

 By JACKLYN SIRIAS
A SENIOR magistrate has raised concern about the shortage of manpower in the Public Solicitor’s Office in Port Moresby.
Waigani Committal Court magistrate Cosmas Bidar raised the concern last Thursday when three lawyers from the office sought permission to adjourn their cases.
He said the cases had been adjourned several times because the lawyers were having clashes with other cases.
“Those cases are adjourned several times because the public solicitor’s office is stretched with manpower,” Bidar said.
He said half the time, the lawyers had to assist and serve the entire country and most of the time they faced clashes with other cases.
“Sometimes, one lawyer can have cases appearing at Bomana when at the same time his other cases would appear at Waigani,” Bidar said.
As in these cases, the lawyers were attending to their cases at Bomana and informed the court through their clients (defendants).
Bidar told the three defendants that hopefully, their cases would be dealt with this week and allowed adjournment for their lawyers to make submissions today.