Providing Access to justicefor impecunious persons in

Papua New Guines

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

MT. HAGENPublic Solicitor’s OfficeP. O. Box 575MT. HAGENWestern Highlands Province

Telephone : 5421055Facsimile : 5423755

RABAULPublic Solicitor’s OfficeNamanula StreetP. O. Box 415RABAULEast New Britain Province

Telephone : 9829629Facsimile : 9829614

WABAGPublic Solicitor’s OfficeP. O. Box 95WABAGEnga Province

Telephone : 5471296Facsimile : 5471296

KIMBEPublic Solicitor’s OfficeC/-P. O. Box 52KIMBEWest New Britain Province

Telephone : 9834930Facsimile : 9834930

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

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(Range of legal services)

2007

MADANGPublic Solicitor’s OfficeP. O. Box 147MADANGMadang Province

Telephone : 852 1355Facsimile : 852 2002

It must be noted that neither the lawyers nor the staff in employof the Public Solicitor’s Office have any authority to neithercharge nor receive any fees from the persons seeking legalassistance (clients). All the Public Solicitor’s sanctionedcharges/fees will be properly rendered by way of aMemorandum of Fee and paid into the Public Solicitor’s LegalAid Trust Account.

Public Solicitor as the “Public Defender”

The Public Solicitor provides legal representation to almost allaccused persons charged with an “indictable offence” in PapuaNew Guinea. The indictable offences are serious criminal casesthat come before the Grade Five Courts, the National Courts andby way of appeal/review to the Supreme Court of Justice. ThePublic Solicitor also provides a wide range of legal assistance,advice and drafting of documents under its Civil Section of theOffice.

All persons are protected by law and the equal part of this state-ment of law is that no person or entity (incorporated or not) isabove the law. The Public Solicitor plays a pivotal role in itsendeavour to remove the perception that there are two sets oflaws; one for the common people and the other for the rich andthe affluent or powerful.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCECONTACT THE FOLLOWING:-

HEADQUATERS, PORT MORESBYPublic SolicitorIndependent Office of the Public Solicitor2nd Level, Garden City ComplexP. O. Box 5812BOROKONational Capital District

Telephone : 3258866 Facsimile : 3258445

LAEPublic Solicitor’s OfficeHuon RoadP. O. Box 1184LAEMorobe Province

Telephone : 4721092 Facsimile : 4726707

GOROKAPublic Solicitor’s OfficeGouna Centre Elizaberth StreetP. O. Box 133GOROKAEastern Highlands Province

Telephone : 7321697Facsimile : 7321054

LEGAL AID and ASSISTANCE SERVICES

What are the range of legal service and assistance providedby the Public Solicitor to impecunious persons?

The Public Solicitor manages a large number of criminal andcivil cases for and on behalf of people throughout the country.Those core legal services and assistance provided by the PublicSolicitor include the following:-

1. Criminal Cases: All the indictable offences under the CriminalCode and including bail applications, appeals and other criminaloffences that carries a maximum penalty; punishable by impris-onment for more than two years. Legal aid and assistance isprovided to juveniles in conflict with the law;

2. Civil Cases: The civil cases include the matters such as civilnegligence cases, workers compensation, civil rights, infant set-tlement, maintenance, divorce, appeals, legal advice and limitedcommercial matters.

3. Legal Aid Applications: All legal Aid Applications must belodged with all the relevant documents and information. ThePublic Solicitor in his deliberate judgement may grant or refuseall legal aid applications. The National Court may review thePublic Solicitor’s decision to refuse legal aid.

There are other categories of cases such as Election Petitionsand land related matters the Public Solicitor in his deliberatejudgement would refuse legal aid due to resource and capacitylimitations.

Legal Aid Contributions - Can Public Solicitor charge reason-able fees for legal aid services?

The Public Solicitor alone can render a reasonable charge forservices provided by him to persons in need of his help whomhe considers are able to make a contribution towards the cost ofthese services in accordance with the Public Solicitor (Charges)Act 1976.

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF

THE PUBLIC SOLICITOR

Providing Access to justicefor impecunious persons in

Papua New Guines