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NATIONAL REPORTS A SENIOR judge yesterday expressed disappointment over the inadequate penalty for those found guilty of committing rape and incest. Waigani National Court’s Justice Panuel Mogish said such offences were serious and had carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment but Parliament, in its own wisdom, cut it down to a maximum seven years. “For Parliament to reduce the maximum penalty from life to seven years is a huge reduction. Incest is a very serious offence and I don’t know who advised Parliament at that time to adjust the level of penalty,” Mogish said. He said numerous calls were made over the years for Parliament to review the penalty but to no avail. Mogish said the calls for review “fell on deaf hears.” “Parliament should read some court judgments on incest cases and make some changes on the level of penalty as the matter is serious,” the judge said. He told state lawyers to ask the public solicitor to write to the justice minister and attorney-general on the ma

NATIONAL REPORTS A SENIOR judge yesterday expressed disappointment over the inadequate penalty for those found guilty of committing rape and incest. Waigani National Court’s Justice Panuel Mogish said such offences were serious and had carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment but Parliament, in its own wisdom, cut it down to a maximum seven years. “For Parliament to reduce the maximum penalty from life to seven years is a huge reduction. Incest is a very serious offence and I don’t know who advised Parliament at that time to adjust the level of penalty,” Mogish said. He said numerous calls were made over the years for Parliament to review the penalty but to no avail. Mogish said the calls for review “fell on deaf hears.” “Parliament should read some court judgments on incest cases and make some changes on the level of penalty as the matter is serious,” the judge said. He told state lawyers to ask the public solicitor to write to the justice minister and attorney-general