Society calls to address gender imbalance

PRESIDENT of PNG Law Society Allan Mana has called on the seniors of Papua New Guinea law fraternity to address the current gender imbalance on the bench as there is still need to increase judicial strength.
Mana emphasized the issue yesterday at a ceremonial gathering held at the Waigani National Court to farewell late judge Justice Regina Sagu.
He said Justice Sagu’s passing came at a time when the judiciary was still seeking to increase number of judges to effectively address the backlog of cases still pending in the National and Supreme courts.
“As a fraternity, we note the significant advancement in the court’s administration generally, including in the court’s information technology system,” he said.
“This system has enhanced the court’s ability to register and track cases in real time as well as equitably distribute the case load among all judges.
“Be that as it may, I believe there is still a great need to increase judicial strength and also address the current gender imbalances on the bench.
“In this respect, I would encourage my senior and female colleagues to respond to the call to serve our country in a judicial capacity.”
Mana remembered Justice Sagu as an instrumental woman when she was called to be a judge last March 19 to boost the number of judges in Mt Hagen.