Law Week to mark 30th anniversary of Attorney General office [1]
Thursday, November 1, 2018 - 18:02
The 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General posts will be celebrated during this year's Law Week, which runs from November 4-9 in Nuku'alofa.
This is the 11th year the Attorney General’s Office has delivered the Law Week annually as part of the celebrations on the granting of the Constitution by Tupou I on November 4,1875.
This year is its 143rd anniversary of the granting of the Constitution, which is the supreme law, and the source of all law and authority in the Kingdom.
Acting Attorney General 'Aminiasi Kefu said the program would also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the posts of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General by Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, who was Tonga's first ever law graduate.
The Attorney General is the First Law Officer of the Crown and the Solicitor General is the Second Law Officer of the Crown.
He said the establishment of these posts in 1988 marked the beginning of Tongan law graduates delivering and directing all legal services for Government and the people of the Kingdom.
The first Attorney General was Hon. Tevita Poasi Tupou, who was later appointed by George Tupou V as Lord Tupou of Kolofo’ou, a Law Lord and Member of the Privy Council.
The first Solicitor General was ‘Aisea Havea Taumoepeau, who also served as Attorney General and is now the Ombudsman.
Before these posts were established, the Government legal services were provided by a Crown Solicitor, who worked under the Prime Minister’s Office. This post was usually occupied by expatriates from the United Kingdom and Australia, until the late Taniela Hoko’ila Tufui was appointed as the first Tongan Crown Solicitor.
He was later appointed by George Tupou V as Lord Tufui of Talaheu, a Law Lord and Member of Privy Council.
Meanwhile, the theme for Law Week is the law and cycberspace aimed to inform the public of the law that is applicable to the use of cyberspace and the current benefits and challenges in the use of cyberspace through computers and mobile devices and hopefully the users of cyberspace.
"Especially the children and youth, become more aware of the risks in cyberspace and to protect themselves from these risks either by their own reasonable actions or active supervision by their guardians."
An open day will be held on November 6, opened by Hon. Poasi Tei, Minister for Information and Communications, at Digicel Square for some Government Primary School students from the eastern and western districts of Tongatapu.
Students will be presented with information from the Attorney General’s Office, Tonga Police, Tonga Communications Corporation, Digicel, CERT Tonga and other stakeholders who support the safe use of cyberspace and will also include special activities and competitions for the students.
Programs will also include daily radio talkback shows from Radio Tonga FM 90. All programs will be broadcast on Radio Tonga for the benefit of those who would be listening from the outer islands and also from overseas via the internet, he said.