IT has been well said that no one is above the law.
No one is above the law means everyone – police, government and even members of the judiciary. In other words, we are all equal before the law.
The Eviction Notice posted this week at the entrance to the Hell’s Point site on the outskirt of east Honiara is a case in point. The High Court has found against the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) for illegally occupying and using the Hell’s Point site over the years without paying any rentals.
The Levers Solomon Ltd vs Attorney General came before the High Court four times in as many years. This is because the government through its legal advisors thought they could get away with wasting court’s time and resources.
Now their time is up.
After failing to pay up by 4:30pm on 13th September 2022 – the deadline set by Deputy Chief Justice Rex Foukona – the law has come down heavy on police and the government.
The long arm of the law has finally caught up with the enforcement agencies of the law – in this case, police and the Attorney General’s Chambers.
Ignoring or worse disobeying Court Orders is costly.
One can only hope that the Notice of Eviction for the Hell’s Point site serves as a deterrent for future cases. Police officers including the Commissioner should be smart in avoiding interfering with the Eviction Notice. You could land yourself at Rove – that’s what the High Court Order said.
And there are many. For example, the $50 million award against the government for wrongful arrest, detention and loss of business by local medical doctor, Reginald Aipia, is a case in point.
There is also the case involving dolphin exporter and Fishing Village Chief Robert Satu. He has not been paid his $10 million award. What is wrong with us?
The law is the law. It is meant to be enforced regardless of who gets involved. The guiding principle should always be: No one is above the law – that no one means police officers, government officials and on and on it should be.
