Every Supreme Court proceeding carries a reference such as SCA No 45 of 2024 or SC Rev No 12 of 2023. The letters are not decoration. They identify the track the matter is on, and therefore which Rules, which forms and which time limits apply.
The rule
Matters bearing the following file reference will be listed in the General List: SCA No. of (year), appeals and applications for leave to appeal commenced by notice of appeal; SCRA No. of (year), criminal appeals; SCM No. of (year), appeals commenced by notice of motion (Order 10); SC Rev. No. of (year), reviews commenced by application to review under section 155(2)(b) of the Constitution, civil, crime and elections; SC Ref. No. of (year), Supreme Court referrals filed pursuant to sections 18 and 19 of the Constitution; SCOS No. of (year), Supreme Court originating summons; SC Res. No. of (year), reservations; SCAPP No. of (year), bail, applications for extension of time to appeal, section 57 human rights applications etc.
The prefixes
| Prefix | Proceeding | Started by | Governing Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCA | Civil appeal, or application for leave to appeal, from the National Court | Notice of appeal (Form 8) or application for leave (Form 7) | Order 7 |
| SCRA | Criminal appeal against conviction or sentence | Notice of appeal; prisoners may use Second Schedule Form 1 | Order 7; Supreme Court Act ss 22–29 |
| SCM | Appeal from a decision on judicial review or a human rights application under National Court Rules Orders 16 and 17 | Notice of motion (Form 15) | Order 10 |
| SC Rev | Review under Constitution s 155(2)(b) where no appeal lies, including election petition reviews | Application to review (Form 5, 5A, 5B) | Order 5 |
| SC Ref | Constitutional reference under s 18(2) or special reference under s 19; also s 18(1) applications | Reference (Forms 2, 3) or application (Form 1) | Order 4 |
| SCOS | Originating summons invoking the Court’s original jurisdiction | Originating summons | Order 4 by analogy; O 11 r 9 directions |
| SC Res | Case or point of law reserved by the National Court | Reservation (Form 12) | Order 8; Supreme Court Act ss 15, 21 |
| SCAPP | Bail, extension of time, section 57 enforcement and other applications not attached to an existing file | Application (Form 4 or Form 6) | Orders 6, 7, 11 |
Why the prefix matters
An SCA against an interlocutory judgment without leave, an SCM used where the decision was not made under National Court Rules Order 16 or 17, or an SC Rev filed where an appeal lay and was simply missed, will each attract an objection to competency. The prefix is assigned by the Registry from the originating document, so the choice is made when the document is drafted. The decision tree is set out in the difference between an appeal and a review and when you can appeal; the SCM route is explained in appealing a judicial review decision.
The number and the year
The number is sequential within each prefix for the year, allocated on filing. It stays with the proceeding for life, and interlocutory applications within it are filed on the same number rather than as a new SCAPP. An application for leave to appeal and the appeal that follows it usually share one SCA number, because Order 7 Rule 11 deems the notice of appeal given on the filing of the application for leave. A cross-appeal is filed in the same proceeding. Where several appeals are brought against one judgment, each gets its own number, and the Court may consolidate them. See two proceedings about the same judgment.
File number versus judgment number
The file number is not the citation. When the Court delivers a written judgment the Registry assigns it a sequential judgment number, SC followed by four digits, which is how the decision is cited: for example a judgment might be SC2345 delivered in SCA No 45 of 2024. PacLII adds its own medium-neutral citation in the form [2024] PGSC 60. Older decisions reported in the Papua New Guinea Law Reports are cited as [1983] PNGLR 55. See how to find and cite a Supreme Court judgment.
Older references
Files opened under the Supreme Court Rules 1984 used similar prefixes, and some older judgments refer to “SC Review” or “SCR” for both constitutional references and section 155(2)(b) reviews. Order 13 Rule 3 settled the current scheme, separating SC Rev (reviews) from SC Ref (references). The forms in the First Schedule still show “S.C.R. No.” on Forms 2 and 3 and “S.C. REV. No.” on Forms 5 and 5B, and the Registry applies the Rule 3 prefixes when the file is opened.
Getting the heading right
The forms fix the heading for each track: “In the Supreme Court of Justice”, the file reference, the constitutional or statutory provision under which the proceeding is brought, and the parties in their correct capacity, appellant and respondent, applicant and respondent, cross-appellant and cross-respondent, or referrer and interveners. Order 10 Rule 2 requires an SCM to be entitled between the party as appellant and the party as respondent. Order 5 Rule 4(a) and (b) require an SC Rev to be entitled under the section of the Constitution and in the name of the applicant. The forms are on the Supreme Court Forms page.
Sources
- Supreme Court Rules 2012 — O 13 r 3; O 4; O 5 r 4; O 7 r 11; O 8; O 10 r 2; First and Second Schedules
- Constitution — ss 18, 19, 57, 155(2)(b)
- Supreme Court Act (Chapter 37) — ss 15, 21, 22–29
Before relying on anything here, read the current text of the Supreme Court Rules 2012 and check for later amendments. If a decision matters to you, get advice — start with the Office of the Public Solicitor, or find a firm in the law firms directory.