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Legal Updates
A running log. New Acts and amendments, provisions that have finally been brought into force, and court decisions that change how existing law is applied — each with a short plain-language note.
Law is not a fixed object. An Act you read last year may have been amended; a section you rely on may never have been brought into operation; a case that settled a point may have been distinguished into near-irrelevance since. This section tracks the movement.
How to tell whether a law is current
Before you rely on any Act — including anything described on this site — run these four checks:
- Find the consolidated version, not the original. The version as first passed does not show later amendments. What you want is the Act as amended to date.
- Check whether it has commenced. An Act that has been passed and certified is not necessarily in force. Many Acts commence on a date fixed by notice in the National Gazette, and some sections sit uncommenced for years.
- Check for amending Acts. Search for the Act’s name plus “Amendment”. A short amending Act can change the meaning of the principal Act completely.
- Check whether the courts have read it differently from how it reads. This is the step non-lawyers skip, and it is often the one that decides the matter.
The log
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Independent Commission Against Corruption established
An Organic Law on the Independent Commission Against Corruption was passed in 2020, creating a standing anti-corruption body with its own investigative powers, alongside the existing role of the Ombudsman Commission under the Leadership Code. Establishing an institution takes considerably longer than passing the law that creates it — check the Commission’s current jurisdiction, powers and complaint procedures before relying on them.
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Death penalty repealed
Papua New Guinea removed capital punishment from the Criminal Code in 2022. The death penalty had remained on the books for certain offences without an execution being carried out for decades. Sentencing for the most serious offences now proceeds on the basis of imprisonment, including life imprisonment. If you are researching a sentence imposed before the repeal, note that the law at the time of the offence and the law at the time of sentencing may differ.
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Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015
The child protection framework was re-enacted in 2015, replacing the earlier legislation. It sets out the paramountcy of the child’s best interests, the role of child protection officers, and the mechanisms for protecting a child at risk. A full guide is planned for the Family law topic.
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Sorcery Act 1971 repealed
The Sorcery Act 1971 was repealed in 2013. That Act had recognised a belief in sorcery as relevant in criminal proceedings; its repeal removed that recognition from the statute book. Accusation-related violence continues to be dealt with under the general criminal law, and has been the subject of specific national policy responses since.
These entries are short editorial summaries written for general readers. They give the year and the substance of a change, not its precise commencement date, section numbers or subsequent amendment history — and any of those can be decisive in an actual matter.
Always confirm the current position against the official text of the legislation and, where a case is involved, the judgment itself. Obtain independent legal advice before acting.
If an Act has been amended, a provision has commenced, or a significant judgment has been handed down and is not logged here, tell us. Corrections and additions are welcome — see About and corrections.