More judges needed: AG

National
Late Justice Sinclair Penial Gora’s casket taken in to the Waigani Court House yesterday for a court ceremonial sitting in his honour. – Nationalpic by BEVERLY PETER

By BEVERLY PETER
MINISTER for JUSTICE and Attorney-General (AG) Pila Niningi says the National Executive Council (NEC) has approved the appointment of 20 new judges to complement Papua New Guinea’s existing 40 National and Supreme Court judges.
Niningi said this was because the country had only 40 judges to carry the judicial workload of more than nine million people in the country.
“Despite the differences in the other factors such as literacy and crime rate, the ratio between the judges to the population is very high,” he said.
“We have about one judge to serve about 23,000 people.”
Niningi said this in his speech during the court’s ceremonial sitting in honour of late Justice Sinclair Gora at Waigani Court House yesterday.
He commended the judges who were present at the ceremony for their hard work.
“It is practically an impossible job, but thank God you work tirelessly to dispense justice to our people and I thank you all for your service,” Niningi said.
He said when comparing PNG to New Zealand which about 200 judges including the high courts and the district courts for a population of five million people this showed the pressure the country’s judicial system was under.
Niningi said there were about 26,000 active cases both civil and criminal in the National and Supreme Courts.
“This amounts to one judge having to dispose of about 650 cases on average,” he said.
“While cases vary and are not necessarily the same, given the issues and parties involved, they can take a life of its own with new cases adding on to the backlogs of cases.”
The minister said increasing the number of judges from 40 to 60 did not seem to be adequate but it was a step in the right direction by the Government to alleviate the issue. “As the minister responsible and on behalf of the Government, I wish to acknowledge and commend the tireless efforts by the judges both past and present in ensuring the dispensation of justice,” he said.
“The judiciary continues to be the country’s beacon of hope in times of uncertainty and continues to be consistent in delivering justice regardless of the challenges it faces.”
The minister, on behalf of theGovernment, law and justice sector, judicial and legal service commission and the people, offered his condolences to late Justice Gora’s wife, children and Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika and the judiciary for their loss.
“The passing of Justice Gora is a great loss to the judiciary, the legal profession, law and justice sector as well as the country,” he said.
“His appointment as the judge in the National and Supreme Court in 2021 was at a time when the judiciary was initiating reform to improve the delivery and dispensation of justice and his passing is certainly felt by the judiciary and law and justice sector.”