New judge wants to help cut backlog of cases

NEW judge Emma Wurr says she wants to help her senior colleagues reduce the backlog of cases in the National Court.
She said they had so many cases, civil and criminal, pending, so wherever she was placed she would do her best to help dispose of them.
She is hoping they are cleared out in the next 12 months.
Wurr is from Nebilyer in Western Highlands and has worked in the Public Solicitors’ Office for 13 years.
“I completed my secondary at Mt Hagen Secondary School and went to take up law at the University of Papua New Guinea from 2003 to 2006 and then continued at the Legal Training Institute in 2007,” she told The National.
“I started with the Public Solicitors in 2008 and I have been there for 13 years.”
She said the appointment of six female judges was great for gender equality in this country.
“I think we need to have more female judges in there to balance out different opinions and to get some feedback from the women’s perspective,” she said.
“Most of the crimes that lead to murder or other violence are usually family-related and all that.
“When we have male judges sometime they think like males. If we have more females, they will think of the kids, the mothers, so they give a fair decision, that’s just my personal view.
“We hope to get more judges joining in the future. It would be good to have 50 per cent males and (50 per cent) females.
“My advice to female lawyers is to work hard, continue to give your best.
“At the end of the day, God sees what we do, and he rewards us.
“Age doesn’t really matter.
“If he sees that you are fit and you are capable, well, that’s it. I am blessed to be appointed at this time even though I thought it might be in five years’ time.
“But God had plans, so I encourage young lawyers – you just never know – just be committed, work hard.”