Legal Year Opens for 2022
Employees of the Law and Justice Sector gathered at a church service for the opening of the legal year 2022 today at the United Church, Hutjena, Buka,
The Resident Judge, Justice Kina Bona announced the opening of the legal year for 2022 in front of all the lawyers, magistrates and officers of the law and justice sector in Bougainville. This was witnessed by the Regional Member Hon. Peter Tsiamalili, Member for North, Hon. William Nakin and Minister for Police and Member for Baba Constituency, Hon. Emmanuel Carlos Kaetavara.
Bishop Abraham Toroi led the church service and Member for Tsitalato Constituency, Hon. Jon Bosco Ragu welcomed the congregation.
Justice Kina Bona reflected back on the past two years as one of the most disturbing years in Bougainville as many officers were affected by COVID but he encouraged the staff of the law and justice sector to be braver this year as the pandemic continues on into the New Year.
Officers were ill and the sector could only implement little to enabling that law and order continues to prevail throughout the region.
He said that in 2021 and the year before it was a very difficult year for all the staff within the law and justice sector and that the negative impact has also split over to the education sector which the schools and students were also badly affected because of the frequent closure of schools at the three regions.
He said that the health services in Buka, Arawa and Buin have also been affected by the pandemic as hospitals remain closed for days and patients turned away because of no nurses and doctors to attend to them.
The issue is very serious, it has affected every one of us, he said.
The virus pandemic is still with us and so I urge all to take precaution of ourselves and families as we continue to serve the people of Bougainville within the framework of the law and justice sector.
Let us all ensure that we stay healthy and comply with the instructions provided from the health department and authorities as we prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually to provide service in the law and justice sector, he said.
Regional Member Hon Peter Tsiamalili who was a guest speaker at the legal year opening 2022 also encouraged the staffs to be leaders and to set examples using their positions to stop law and order issues in the region.
He said that all staffs regardless of what positions they have, played a key role in making Bougainville become a region that is a just, safe and secure society.
He said the onus was on them to become responsible citizens and to deliver a safe justice system that is free from corruption.
This year’s legal year opening slogan was “Empowering Law and Justice sector in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville,’ and Tsiamalili said that, there was a strong message in the slogan because, Bougainville has a more higher status from the 20 provinces in Papua New Guinea and so, he urged for a more leadership approach to be taken by the employees of the law and order sector in order to bring the nation to its aspirations of becoming independent.
The Legal Year Opening marks the closing of all the court house in a country to allow for all the staff of the law and justice sector to combine for a church service to officially announce the opening of the legal service for the year.
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