PORT VILA (Vanuatu Daily Post/Pacific Media Watch): The assault case of Daily Post publisher Marc Neil-Jones will remain in the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court and not be committed to the Supreme Court.
Last weekend the Daily Post reported the case would be committed to the Supreme Court.
This new ruling came after the Police Prosecutions submitted yesterday for the case to remain in the Magistrates Court, but it has been delegated from the young magistrate who has handled the case up to this stage to Senior Magistrate Rita Naviti.
Prosecutions yesterday made this request when submitting their preliminary inquiry submissions to Magistrate Moses Peter, saying a precedent had been set over the years where cases of similar “minor offences” committed to the Supreme Court were referred back to the Magistrates Court.
In the publisher’s case, the Prosecutions said, there was only one count with weight and the other six accompanying charges were only minor offences. Thus if it was to be committed to the Supreme Court it would inevitably be referred back to the Magistrates Court.
The case has now been adjourned to June 28 to be heard by Senior Magistrate Naviti.
Pacific Media Watch
