Marape assures of careful handling of Chief Justice referral

Prime Minister James Marape has assured the nation that the Government will handle the Ombudsman Commission’s referral involving Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika with great care and full respect for the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Marape said the Government fully respects the constitutional roles of both the Ombudsman Commission and the Public Prosecutor.

The Prime Minister confirmed that the Office of the Prime Minister, in the presence of the Chief Secretary, has received the referral documents from the Ombudsman Commission.

Mr Marape said the Office of the Chief Justice is one of the country’s highest constitutional offices and holds equal standing with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Speaker as heads of the three arms of Government.

He said the Government will now seek detailed legal advice from the State Solicitor and other relevant authorities before deciding on the next course of action.

Mr Marape described the matter as unprecedented and said the Government will ensure that every process followed is lawful, proper and constitutional.

The Prime Minister added that the Government will carefully examine whether the National Executive Council has the constitutional authority to deal with such a matter involving the Chief Justice under Section 179 of the Constitution.