NEW CHIEF MAGISTRATE FOR SOLOMON ISLANDS

The country’s new Chief Magistrate has taken his oath of allegiance today.

Mr. John Numapo from Papua New Guinea takes up the new position as Chief Magistrate for the next 12 months.

He was sworn in by the Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer this morning at the High Court.

Chief Justice Palmer says Mr. Numapo is the right person for the job, commending him for his vast experience as a Magistrate in Papua New Guinea.

“Thirty-four years in total, starting off as a district court magistrate, a post which he held for 12 years from 1986 to 1998, then chief magistrate for three years from 1999 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2009, a period of eight years. Two years as acting chief magistrate and six years as chief magistrate so you can see he joins us with a solid background of magisterial experience.”

Meanwhile, the new Chief Magistrate, His Worship John Numapo says people in Solomon Islands have not been adequately provided with judicial services.

Mr. Numapo made the comments after taking his oath of allegiance this morning.

He says the inadequate judicial services has a lot to do with the lack of human resources.

“We have a shortage of manpower, lack of resources, we are not spread throughout the country as the Chief Justice said today in his welcome speech. We only base in three provincial locations apart from Honiara and that’s Gizo, Kirakira, and Auki and we do not have courts based in other provinces or magistrate residence on the ground so the people of Solomon Islands have not been adequately provided with the judicial services or court services that they expect.”

Meanwhile, the new Chief Magistrate says they will recruit three more new Magistrates shortly.

He says the recruitment will definitely improve Court circuits to the provinces.

“Three more new magistrates, all female I should say, to join us very shortly at the magistrate’s court so that’s something we are working on at the moment so hopefully when the three come in that will boost our manpower then we’d be able to do a lot of court circuits to the provinces where we do not have courthouses located there.”