Passing of Judicial Conduct Bill suspicious, says pastor

By ELLEN TIAMU
LAWS are made for the future and not retrospectively as is the case with the Judicial Conduct Bill.
Pr Peter Ropra from Goroka said the timing of the new law was “suspicious, especially with latest developments with the Chief Justice, judges and government”.
Ropra said if the law was made retrospectively of events that recently occurred “then it is very suspicious”.
“They (the laws) are vindictive and punitive and create uncertainty on the part of judges,” he said.
He said judges should be allowed to exercise their duties without fear or favour and without intimidation from certain arms of government.
“There are references still being considered by the Supreme Court and this law is intimidating and can be viewed as contemptuous because of the impending court cases,” Ropra said.
He said this could be seen as two government bodies, judiciary and executive, being at each other’s throats, “with the new law seemingly fostering the needs of a particular group of people”.
Ropra described the Bill as “outrageous, undemocratic and unconstitutional as it goes against the country’s Constitution on which the fabric of democracy is founded”.