VILLAGE MAGISTRATES FRUSTRATED OVER NO PAY

By Martha LOUIS

For 11 years now, village court magistrates in parts of Morobe Province have been working without receiving any pay, despite promises from authorities.

James Imas, a magistrate from Ragaimpun village in Umi LLG, Markham District, said he was first elected in 2007. Back then, magistrates received K50 every three months. But in 2013, those payments stopped.

“Since 2014, I have not received any allowance. It’s been 11 years now,” Imas said. “We keep giving our account details, going to the bank and spending our own money on statements, but no payment has come through.”

Village court magistrates deal with local conflicts, run court sessions, and help maintain order in the community. They also assist police with serious cases.

“We are still working. We continue helping the police and our people, but we are not being paid for this service,” Imas said.

While some magistrates in other parts of PNG have received payments recently, many in Markham District are still waiting.

“We are frustrated. We just want the government to pay us what we are owed,” Imas said.

Village courts are an important part of the justice system in PNG, especially in rural areas where police numbers are low. But without financial support, many magistrates are unsure how much longer they can continue.

Imas is now calling on the government to settle the long-overdue payments.