IN THE ISLAND COURT OF
THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
In the Tafea Island Court Land
Held at Isangel, Tanna
(Land Jurisdiction)

Land Case No. 4 of 2000

Claimant: JAMES YAVIONG

Land: NOMPUNWOSE

Presiding Magistrate: Hellen R. ARU

Justices:-Charlie Tukama
Eli Kuras
Moses Nimaian

Clerk: Jona Mesau

JUDGMENT

Case blong graon NOMPUNWOSE i register long Island Court long namba 23 February 2000. Court i setem date blong harem case ia long namba 16 September 2003, blong mekem declaration from kastom onasip blong graon ia, olsem wan graon we ino kat dispute long hem or wan graon we ino kat nara claimant bakeken i wantem claim from.

From we publicity blong graon ia ino folem Order 6 r. 8 long Island Court Act Cap. 167, Court i referem Case ia igo back long Island Court blong mekem sua se process blong case ia i folem procedure we istap insaed long Island Court Act.

Island Court i mekem publicity bakeken, hemia wetem service messages we igo long radio mo wan public notice we Clerk blong Island Court igo putum long graon ia long namba 18 September 2003. Through long notice ia public i save se Court bae i sitaon blong harem case blong graon ia long 27 October 2003.

Long date blong hearing ia, Court i findem aot se case blong graon ia hemi still undisputed, or ino kat nara man bakeken i mekem counter-claim from or i disputim claim blong graon we claimant i putum from kastom onasip blong NOMPUWOSE.

Court hemi procced folem Order 6 r. 11 long Island Court Act Cap. 167, blong enterem judgement long case ia. Hemia nao history blong graon we claimant i kivim long Court: -

Claimant i refer long wan decision blong Simanlou Council of Chief blong Erromango long 2 May 1986, we i declarem se claimant ia nao hemi kastom ona blong graon ia NOMPUNWOSE.

Folem ol raets blong hem long graon ia, Claimant i talem se long taem bifo, ikat wan paramaon jif nem blong hem Nompuat Pokurvi i wokabaot wetem trifala tribes ia Nompuat Nemretong, Netai Nipintok mo Nompuat Yaviong long ol hill mo darkbush. Long taem ia ino kat eni man istap long ol ples we oli wokabaot long hem.

After nao Jif Nompuat Pokurvi i putum trifala tribes we oli folem hem long wan wan graon we hemi soem long olketa. Hemi putum Nompuat Nemretong, family line blong claimant ia olsem ona belong graon ia Nompunwose. Graon ia igo mit wetem ol graon blong ol nara tribes bakeken we olketa ia everywan oli save gud ol boundry blong olketa mo oli stap folem kasem tudei.

Claimant ikat tu (2) witness, mo tufala tugeta ino talem fulap toktok, be tufala i stanap nomo blong witnesem se boundry blo claimant igo mit wetem boundry blong graon blong tufala.

DECISION

Folem ol toktok blong claimant mo tufala witness blong hem, Court i DECLARE mo mekem ORDER se:-

JAMES YAVIONG nao hemi kastom ona blong graon ia "NOMPUNWOSE" we istap long area blong Dillons-Bay long Erromango.

Dated at Isangel, the 27th day of October 2003.

Presiding Magistrate
Justice
Justice
Justice

[PacLII Editorial note: open PDF file to view map]