By DALCY LULUA
SIR Bob Bofeng Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, today officiated the swearing-in ceremony of judges and acting judges of the National and Supreme Courts at Government House.
The appointments were made by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission as part of its ongoing mandate to strengthen the country’s judiciary and ensure the effective administration of justice.
Under the appointments:
- Justice Sir Kina Bona, KBE, was reappointed as a judge of the Supreme and National Courts for a further three years;
- Justice Graham Ellis was also reappointed as a judge of the Supreme and National Courts for a period of three years;
- Justice Silas Kaule was appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme and National Courts for a period of ten years; and
- Justice Jeffrey Mesa was appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme and National Courts for a period of ten years.
During the ceremony, the judges and acting judges formally took the Oath of Declaration of Office, the Declaration of Loyalty, and the Judicial Declaration before the Governor-General.
The ceremony was witnessed by Chief Justice Sir Gibuma Gibbs Salika and Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, underscoring the importance of the occasion to the country’s judicial leadership.
The swearing-in took place at Government House, marking another milestone in maintaining continuity and stability within Papua New Guinea’s highest courts.