Cosmas Bidar is a name widely associated with the Committal Court and the Criminal Justice system in Papua New Guinea for over four decades. Cosmas has recently retired from the Magisterial Service on 1 July 2020 after working as a Magistrate and separately as a Judge of the National and Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea for forty-five years.
Cosmas’ last posting was as the Senior Principal Magistrate of the Committal Court at Waigani, a post he held and fervently served in for the last ten years.
Cosmas has travelled the length and breadth of Papua New Guinea from the remotest District such as Koroba in the late 1970s in Southern Highlands (as it then was), now it is part of Hela Province, to the developing towns such as Alotau in Milne Bay Province. Cosmas served as the Senior Provincial Magistrate and Principal Magistrate in the following provinces:
- From 1981 to 1982, Alotau, Milne Bay Province;
- In 1987, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province;
- In 1988, Goroko, Eastern Highlands Province;
- In 1993, Madang, Madang Province;
- In 1994, Wewak, East Sepik Province;
- From 1998 to 2002, Madang, Madang Province;
- In 2004, Madang, Madang Province;
- From 2005 to 2010, served at Port Moresby District Court; and
- From 2011 to 2020, served at the Committal Court, Waigani, National Capital District.
Cosmas was also appointed as Acting Judge of the National Court in the following provinces:
- From 1996 to 1997, served at Waigani, Madang, Wewak, Vanimo, Lae and Mount Hagen; and
- From 2003 to 2004, served in Kimbe, West New Britain Province.
Cosmas’ has practiced and dealt with all manner of legal issues cutting across all levels of the Judiciary from the Local Court, to the District Court, to the National Court and to the Supreme Court. He has experience in family disputes, commercial transactions, contracts, human rights, criminal justice, mediation, administrative law, wills and probate, land disputes, Leadership Code and Leadership Tribunals.
Cosmas has attended various training workshops and conferences in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, and Australia, both as a jurist and a law reformer. He is an Court accredited and certified mediator in Papua New Guinea having completed the mandatory training in 2017.
Cosmas has also served as board member to various tertiary institutions including the Madang Teachers College and has been involved in disciplinary related work at the University of Goroka and Divine Word University in Madang.
Cosmas now joins Landen Chambers and Goodwin Bidar Nutley Lawyers as a Consultant.
