The State Solicitor General’s office will not be representing the Attorney General Pila Niningi during the Supreme Court reference filed by the Opposition Leader Hon. Joseph Lelang.
The supreme court reference filed early this month as a Sect 18 reference seeks the high court’s interpretation whether the recent signing of two Defence Cooperation Agreements with the United States in May were constitutional.
Issues of legal representation from the Attorney General who wants to be an intervener arose on Monday when a private law firm lawyer and state lawyers appeared to represent the Attorney General.
But on Tuesday a state lawyer informed Justice Derek Hartshorn that the Solicitor General’s office would not be representing the attorney general, Pila Niningi as they have briefed out the matter to Mel and Hennry Lawyers.
While the issue of representation is quite settled, Lawyer Dane Mel from the brief out law firm has to make an application for the supreme court to accept the attorney general as an intervenor in this reference.
He had asked for an adjournment for 14 days but Justice Hartshorn declined it and moved the hearing date to Friday at 9.30am.
Mel had told Justice Harshorn they were unable to sight the court documents in order to make and file their case.
Brendan Lai who represents the Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang had taken issues that the delays with legal representation were in house matters for the Solicitor General’s office.
Lai wanted the application for the Attorney General to intervene to have been moved on Tuesday or be dismissed for want of prosecution.
The matter is now settled to be heard on Friday 9.30 am.
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