Justice Shuster Acting CJ [1]
Monday, August 23, 2010 - 21:51. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
MR JUSTICE Shuster is currently the Acting Chief Justice of Tonga while a substantive new Chief Justice is anticipated to be in Tonga by mid September.
Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court office in Nuku'alofa, Manako Vi, said on August 20, that prior to his departure, former Chief Justice Anthony Ford had adjourned fixtures to about mid September.
"We anticipate that a substantive Chief Justice will be here by then," she said.
In the meantime Justice Shuster is manning the Supreme Court and is the Acting Chief Justice of Tonga, as Justice Warwick Andrew is currently away overseas until the end of this week.
She also confirmed that Justice Andrew finishes as a Supreme Court judge in Tonga on October 5 this year.
CJ Anthony Ford departed Tonga on August 14 to take up a new job as an Employment Judge in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the submission of applications for the Chief Justice position closed on August 6, 2010.
Applications
The Lord Privy Seal Ms Sela Moengangongo has received applications for the Chief Justice position but no time has been confirmed as to when the new Chief Justice would be confirmed as work is still being carried out.
With regards to a Royal Commission of Inquiry into allegations that Government had interfered with Judiciary, she said that no time had been set at this stage to when it would start, nor had there been any members appointed.