Supreme Court tells lawyers to get organised

By JACOB POK and ANGELINE KARIUS
THE delay by lawyers in filing and serving documents has forced the Supreme Court to further adjourn the hearing of the issue on the legitimacy of government to next week.
The three-judge bench comprising Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, Bernard Sakora and Nicholas Kirriwom were disappointed that the lawyers failed to follow the court’s directions.
“You are all not organised.
“All of you should organise yourselves before coming to this court.
“Do not come to court and expect the court to organise you,” Salika told the lawyers.
Lawyer Kerenga Kua, representing Sir Michael Somare and the National Alliance party, told the court that many applications by parties wishing to intervene in the hearing of the two special references filed by Dr Allan Marat and parliament had not filed and served their documents.
Sakora told the lawyers they had been given enough time to file and serve their documents and to come to court ill-prepared was unacceptable.
“This is not a trial, this is a constitutional issue dealing with the legitimacy of the government and should not be delayed,” the judge said.
Tiffany Twivey, representing Marat, told the court that the directions issued last Monday were confusing and she needed more time to prepare. 
Belden Namah’s lawyer, Manuel Varitimos, told the court
his client had complied with the directions and was ready with his application.
Rimbink Pato, lawyer representing the East Sepik assembly, asked the court to
give more time for
lawyers to properly file and serve their documents.
Fred Yakasa’s lawyer, David Dotaona, told the court that his client’s matter was the first in court and suggested if the court could hear it and others that were ready to be heard.
However, Sakora told Dotaona that Yakasa’s case and other national court matters had been stayed.
He said the court would first decide on the legitimate prime minister issue first to clear the confusion as to which government was the legitimate one.
He said the appointing authority such as the national executive council should come to court and justify its decision to appoint department heads, rather than aggrieved appointees coming to court and disputing decisions of appointing authorities. 
The court was adjourned to next Monday.
The court ordered that lawyers file and serve their documents by tomorrow.