Prime Minister O'Neill Welcomes Supreme Court Decision

The Prime Minister, Hon. Peter O'Neill CMG MP, has welcomed the unanimous decision by the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the move by the Ombudsman Commission to refer him under the Leadership Code.
Prime Minister O'Neill said the Supreme Court decision provided clarity on important constitutional questions which had been referred to it by the Attorney General and two National Court judges.
"I have been totally confident from the very outset that the decision by the NEC in relation to the borrowing of funds to facilitate the State taking equity in Oil Search was not illegal, unconstitutional, or in any way contrary to the national interest," he said.
"I believe that the unanimous judgment, when examined in detail, will clarify the role of the Ombudsman Commission in relation not just to Leadership Code matters, but also the role of the NEC, under the Constitution, when it comes to the business of government," PM O'Neill said.
"I respect the role of the Supreme Court on constitutional issues that are referred to it, as does my Government.
"The clarity of this decision is most welcome," the Prime Minister concluded.