MT. HAGEN Public Solicitor’s Office Public Solicitor’s Office P. O. Box 575 P. O. Box 147 MT. HAGEN MADANG Western Highlands Province Independent State of Telephone : 5421055 Telephone : 852 1355 Facsimile : 5423755 Facsimile : 852 2002

RABAUL Public Solicitor’s Office Namanula Street Independent P. O. Box 415 RABAUL Office of the East New Britain Province

Telephone : 9829629 Public Solicitor Facsimile : 9829614 Providing Access to justice

WABAG for impecunious persons in Public Solicitor’s Office P. O. Box 95 Papua New Guines WABAG Legal Aid and

Telephone : 5471296 Assistance Facsimile : 5471296

KIMBE Public Solicitor’s Office (Range of legal services) C/-P. O. Box 52 West New Britain Province 2007 Telephone : 9834930 Facsimile : 9834930

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LEGAL AID and ASSISTANCE SERVICES It must be noted that neither the lawyers nor the staff in employ FOR MORE INFORMATION AND of the Public Solicitor’s Office have any authority to neither ASSISTANCE What are the range of legal service and assistance provided charge nor receive any fees from the persons seeking legal CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:- by the Public Solicitor to impecunious persons? assistance (clients). All the Public Solicitor’s sanctioned charges/fees will be properly rendered by way of a HEADQUATERS, The Public Solicitor manages a large number of criminal and Memorandum of Fee and paid into the Public Solicitor’s Legal Public Solicitor civil cases for and on behalf of people throughout the country. Aid Trust Account. Those core legal services and assistance provided by the Public Independent Office of the Public Solicitor Solicitor include the following:- Public Solicitor as the “Public Defender” 2nd Level, Garden City Complex P. O. Box 5812 1. Criminal Cases: All the indictable offences under the Criminal The Public Solicitor provides legal representation to almost all BOROKO Code and including bail applications, appeals and other criminal accused persons charged with an “indictable offence” in Papua National Capital District offences that carries a maximum penalty; punishable by impris- New Guinea. The indictable offences are serious criminal cases onment for more than two years. Legal aid and assistance is that come before the Grade Five Courts, the National Courts and Telephone : 3258866 provided to juveniles in conflict with the law; by way of appeal/review to the Supreme Court of Justice. The Facsimile : 3258445 Public Solicitor also provides a wide range of legal assistance, 2. Civil Cases: The civil cases include the matters such as civil advice and drafting of documents under its Civil Section of the negligence cases, workers compensation, civil rights, infant set- Office. tlement, maintenance, divorce, appeals, legal advice and limited Public Solicitor’s Office commercial matters. All persons are protected by law and the equal part of this state- Huon Road ment of law is that no person or entity (incorporated or not) is P. O. Box 1184 3. Legal Aid Applications: All legal Aid Applications must be above the law. The Public Solicitor plays a pivotal role in its LAE lodged with all the relevant documents and information. The endeavour to remove the perception that there are two sets of Public Solicitor in his deliberate judgement may grant or refuse laws; one for the common people and the other for the rich and all legal aid applications. The National Court may review the the affluent or powerful. Telephone : 4721092 Public Solicitor’s decision to refuse legal aid. Facsimile : 4726707

There are other categories of cases such as Election Petitions and land related matters the Public Solicitor in his deliberate judgement would refuse legal aid due to resource and capacity Public Solicitor’s Office limitations. Gouna Centre Elizaberth Street Providing Access to justice P. O. Box 133 Legal Aid Contributions - Can Public Solicitor charge reason- GOROKA able fees for legal aid services? for impecunious persons in Eastern Highlands Province

The Public Solicitor alone can render a reasonable charge for Papua New Guines Telephone : 7321697 services provided by him to persons in need of his help whom Facsimile : 7321054 he considers are able to make a contribution towards the cost of these services in accordance with the Public Solicitor (Charges) Act 1976.

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