Review of court allowance welcomed

 THE chairman of the law and order committee in New Ireland Engelberth Lutam has welcomed the recent review of the village court allowance in the province.

The review was recently conducted by the former auditor general Sir Makena Geno who is being engaged as a consultant by the justice department and attorney-general, and John Takuna who is the director of village courts and land mediation secretariat.

 New Ireland is one of the ten provinces selected for the review to identify causes for the delay in the payment of village court allowance, identify a rate or concept to be used to pay village court allowances and identify a method of payment for disbursement of the village court allowances.

Sir Geno was impressed with the decision in 2008 by the New Ireland provincial executive council to increase the village court officials’ allowances and the system to disburse village court allowances to officials.

The national government was paying the chairman K50, deputy chairman K45, magistrate K30, officer K32 and clerk K30 monthly.

But since 2008, the New Ireland provincial government had been paying the chairman K150, deputy chairman K135, magistrate K130, peace officer K118 and clerk K100 every month.

Sir Geno and Takauna also talked to village court officials from the Kavieng urban LLG.