Local Supreme Court judges appointed

In the presence of Justice Minister Joe Natuman, British Chief Justice Charles Vaudin, members of the Vanuatu bar and judiciary and diplomats, Vanuatu President Jean-Marie Leye swore in Vincent Lunabek, 31, a French-trained law graduate, and Kalkot Mataskelekele, 47, a long-time lawyer, once member of parliament, as Supreme Court judges.

Since last year, only Chief Justice Vaudin remained in the Supreme Court; two Australia-funded judges. Rowan Downing and Robert Kent, had left.

The Vanuatu Constitution says; “The Supreme Court shall consist of a chief justice and three other judges.”

“We now have our own judiciary in the form of ni-Vanuatu judges. It’s taken a long time to get here... But at last I’m

delighted to have colleagues on my bench with whom I can share my troubles and worries - I won’t be alone to be blamed at last,” Vaudin told the gathering, adding the event was a “mile stone” for the nation.

To replace Lunabek, who was until now the Vanuatu Supreme Courts chief registrar, Leye appointed Rita Naviti, 38 - the first woman to hold this position in the Island state’s young history.

William Timakata, son of late President Timakata, a young man of chiefly rank trained in New Zealand, takes over as pub lic prosecutor. The position was held for the last eight years by John Baxter, an expatriate who has now decided to join a private practice here. *