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The Magistrates Court this afternoon sent Moffat Joel Konofilia to seven months in prison. This was over his role in the November 2021 riot that saw the burning and looting of shops and buildings in Honiara. The sentence follows Konofilia’s conviction on a charge of unlawful assembly stemming from the…
by Georgina Maka’a A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review lawsuit brought against the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) by two former senior staff members who were terminated in 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct. In a recent ruling, Justice Gina Nott declined to hear the claim filed…
by Georgina Maka’a A High Court judge has refused to lift an injunction stopping Malaysian logging company Sunrise Investments Limited from further harvesting and exporting tubi from customary land in Isabel. Justice Michael Pitakaka ruled that the interim orders, which the court issued in March this year, must remain in…
by Ednal Palmer Moffat Konofilia is scheduled to be sentenced by the Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, September 16, following his conviction over his involvement in the November 2021 riots in Honiara. Konofilia was convicted of unlawful assembly but acquitted of the more serious charge of sedition. His sentencing comes after a…
by Georgina Maka’a “It’s not my intention to cause fear. I made a very stupid mistake.” These were the words of 33-year-old Australian national Mathew Lewis Small during his appearance before the Honiara Magistrate Court today. Mr. Small is currently facing a charge of threatening violence with a firearm following…
By Georgina Maka’a The High Court recently ordered the Solomon Islands Seventh-day Adventist Church to pay more than $831,000 to Xiao’s Hardware Company Limited. The money is compensation for business losses claimed by the Chinese-owned business, which operates a number of hardware shops in Honiara. Justice Augustine Aulanga made the…
By Georgina Maka’a Former lands commissioner Alan McNeil has welcomed the High Court ruling that found his November 2025 suspension illegal. “I welcome the High Court ruling and I feel vindicated,” McNeil, who resigned earlier this year, told In-depth Solomons. “It was a long wait, but I am satisfied justice…
The High Court has ordered two logging companies to pay $62 million in damages to three communities in Isabel Province. This was over unlawful logging activities the loggers caused to the communities of Kolomola, Alualu and Tuseli in the Hograno Highlands District. Justice Augustine Aulanga delivered the ruling on 4…
By Georgina Maka’a The suspension of former Commissioner of Lands Alan McNeil in November 2025 is unlawful, a High Court judge has ruled. Justice Augustine Aulanga also found that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service Luke Cheka failed to follow mandatory disciplinary procedures before removing McNeil from…
by Georgina Maka’a The High Court recently ordered a Honiara lawyer and his two clients to jointly repay more than $2.57 million to a logging company after finding they had no legal right to obtain the money through court enforcement proceedings. In a summary judgment, Justice Maelyn Bird ordered lawyer…
