Pitpit sidelined in inquiry

 A JUDGE has refused to have Public Solicitor Frazier Pitpit represent asylum seekers in a Supreme Court case because he does not have a lawyer’s practicing certificate.
Pitpit appeared yesterday before Justice Collin Makail for a inter-party hearing after the court stayed the inquiry into alleged abuse of human  rights at the Manus Regional Processing Centre.
Makail adjourned the matter to March 31 and advised Pitpit to get a practicing certificate quickly or appoint someone else to represent the asylum seekers in the Supreme Court hearing.
Pitpit told Makail he was awaiting clearance from the Attorney-General before applying to the PNG Law Society for a practicing certificate.
Makail questioned Pitpit on how he managed to represent the asylum seekers during the inquiry in Manus without a practicing certificate.
Pipit said he was only complying with a court order to represent the asylum seekers during the inquiry.
Lawyer Ian Molloy, representing the State and Chief Migration Officer Rabura Mataio, said he had no submissions to make on Pitpit’s practicing certificate.
Makail said all lawyers must have a practicing certificate to appear in court. 
The State and Mataio, through lawyer Peter Kuman, obtained a Supreme Court order to stay the inquiry into the alleged detention of asylum seekers at the Manus centre.
They challenged the decision by Justice David Cannings not to disqualify himself from the inquiry.
The application to disqualify Cannings was moved last Monday at the Lorengau National Court. The application was based on three grounds of apprehension of bias by Cannings.
Cannings rejected the application, saying a reasonable and fair-minded person would not discern from the manner in which the proceedings were being conducted any reasonable apprehension of bias.