The Papua New Guinea National Court has awarded more than 150,000 US dollars in damages to judge for being defamed by a local newspaper.
The decision follows a complaint by the deputy chief justice, Gibbs Salika, in 2007, claiming his reputation as a judge of the National Court at the time had been tarnished and destroyed by an article in the newspaper, The National.
The article alleged Justice Salika deliberately and corruptly delayed hearing of a custody case of a mother who had her children taken away from her, by the father.
