IBS Case : Interim Orders remain

Interim orders against Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST), Fr Jan Czuba, will remain in force until the case returns to court next week.

The temporary orders obtained by the Institute of Business Studies regarding its status on January 4, were extended today by the Waigani National Court.

The case filed by IBS returned before Justice Derek Hartshorn today however, only IBS was represented in court.

Justice Hartshorn adjourned the matter but gave an extension of the orders to next week to allow time for Fr Jan and DHERST to appear in court.

In the meantime, the interim orders restraining Fr Jan from taking further administration steps under the Higher Education (General Provisions) Act 2014 to cause any further delay in IBS registration as a university remains.

He is also to cooperate with the IBS administration to ensure there is a smooth start of the 2018 academic year, amongst other orders, pending the inter-parte hearing of the substantive notice of motion filed by IBS.

Following the orders of January 4, Fr Jan issued a media statement that the department maintains its position that IBS is not a university.

He said the requisite legal procedures and processes, leading up to the creation of universities, were not complied with by IBS and that the National Executive Council was misled on the 4th of December 2016.

That university status remains subject to legal proceedings.