Constitution-making and constitutional development

Abstract

Translated into the most widely used of Papua New Guinea\u27s three official languages, the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea has been called the \u27aslo bilong gavman bilong [or basic law of government of ] Papua New Guinea\u27. However, current usage-in which \u27constitution\u27 is translated as \u27Mama Lo\u27 (as in Oxford2008, and Dr Tony Deklin\u27s paper) is, arguably, more accurate in that it recognizes the role that the Constitution plays in requiring or authorizing the National Parliament to legislate within the framework of the Constitution (including amendment of the Constitution itself)