Tour Dates: 09 – 13 September 2024
Location: South Tanna
Day 1: Arrival and Summons Service (09 September 2024)
On the first day of the tour, Senior Magistrate Annalyn Nalao arrived in Tanna. The prosecutor, Mr. Malsolip Tamau, served the remaining summons. I, Mr. Regi Melsul Temankill, requested Mr. Tamau to accompany him while serving the summons to obtain instructions from the defendants simultaneously.
Unfortunately, we discovered that many defendants were out of Tanna seeking job opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. As a result, several summonses were served indirectly, and no instructions could be gathered on this initial day.
In the evening, we convened a Magistrate Court conference at the Evergreen Resort to manage the pending cases and discuss our travel arrangements for the next day. It was agreed that the prosecutor, the magistrate, and the magistrate court clerk would travel together by vehicle, while the solicitor and correctional officer would use the correctional vehicle.
Day 2: Court Proceedings at Imaki Village (10 September 2024)
On the second day, I joined the correctional officer team to travel to South Tanna. We arrived at Imaki village, the designated venue for the court proceedings. Upon our arrival, we learned that some defendants were already waiting for us. I commenced taking instructions from these defendants.
After gathering the necessary instructions, the court tour team had lunch before proceeding with the court hearings. We managed to address only 7 out of 23 cases due to the absence of many defendants who were still seeking employment opportunities abroad. The remaining cases were adjourned to Friday, 13 September 2024, at Isangel Courthouse. After the session, we returned to Lenakel, and the court instructed the prosecutor to re-summon the defendants currently residing in Tanna.
Day 3: Re-summoning Defendants (11 September 2024)
On this day, the prosecutor re-summoned the defendants who were in Tanna but had failed to attend the court in Imaki village.
Day 4: Defendant Rearrangement (12 September 2024)
A significant development occurred on this day when a defendant scheduled for trial on 13 September 2024 attended the Public Solicitor's Office in Tanna. He expressed his intention to rearrange his case. An arrangement was made with the Senior Magistrate Court Clerk, and the defendant’s case was successfully rearranged for the same day. A written submission was prepared and filed.
Day 5: Final Proceedings (13 September 2024)
On the final day of the South Tanna Court Tour, two defendants attended the office to provide instructions. Following these discussions, court proceedings commenced. We successfully deal with a total of 3 out of 16 cases on this day.
Conclusion:
The South Tanna Magistrate Court Tour faced challenges primarily due to the absence of many defendants seeking employment abroad. Despite this, we were able to conduct hearings, gather instructions, and make necessary arrangements for the pending cases. This tour highlighted the importance of maintaining communication with defendants and adapting to their circumstances.