The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has mandated the recall of the nation’s parliament to deliberate on a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister James Marape. This decision, delivered on April 8, 2025, comes after the court identified a constitutional breach in the parliament’s earlier rejection of a no-confidence motion.
The court’s ruling highlighted that the parliamentary Private Business Committee, led by Deputy Speaker Koni Iguan, acted unconstitutionally when it declined to entertain the motion on November 27, 2024. This action violated Section 111 of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea, which ensures Members of Parliament have the right to propose new bills and motions. Iguan justified the rejection by invoking Standing Order 165, allowing the Speaker to dismiss motions similar to resolutions within the last year.
Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, who initially filed the motion, appealed to the court via an application under section 18(1) of the Constitution. His objective was to ascertain the legality of the Committee’s and Iguan’s November decision.
Prime Minister Marape has publicly acknowledged the court’s ruling, declaring his government’s commitment to adhering to the rule of law. “We will comply with the court decision,” Marape expressed. His administration has engaged with coalition partners and Pangu Pati affiliates, who have all concurred on respecting the court’s directive. Consequently, the Speaker will reconvene parliament as per the court’s directive for a session on April 8.
The September 2024 no-confidence vote was rejected by parliament with 75 in favor and 32 against. However, the current court judgment clarifies that this outcome does not bar further motions on similar grounds. For further details, the full report is accessible via JURIST.