Paska warns of mass protests

By CALDRON LAEPA
THE government has been warned to repeal all unconstitutional legislation or face a mass protest by workers affiliated with the Trade Union Congress.
Congress general secretary John Paska said MPs failed to heed a warning yesterday from the trade unions to refrain from voting for the Supreme Court amended Bill 2012.
He said union members around the country would meet today to discuss a nationwide protest including a “walk- out” from their jobs.
Paska said the Constitution belonged to the people and the people would take back what was theirs.
“The Constitution belongs to the people, the judiciary belongs to the people and the people would take it back, we are not backing down. We have no choice but to act now,” Paska said.
Parliament yesterday passed the Supreme Court Act 2012.
The amended law targets section 19 of the Constitution which gives the Supreme Court the powers to interpret and apply relevant decisions on special reference filed by either a provincial government, Law Reform Commission, parliament, any law office in the country, Governor General acting in advice of the NEC or Ombudsman Commission.
Section 2 of the Supreme Court amended act 2012 provides that the Supreme Court would not make any consequential orders, interim injunctions relief, and order of security or any orders.
This means that the Supreme Courts decision on any matters relating to the Constitution would be considered as a legal opinion and no order would be granted to implement what the Supreme Court interprets.
Section 42 of the act nullifies the decision by the Supreme Court on the East Sepik provincial government special reference on the legality of the government led by Peter O’Neill and the recent Morobe provincial government’s Supreme Court reference on the new judicial conduct law.
Paska said the government had destroyed the judiciary and democracy in the country.