A new Judge of the Court of Appeal of Tonga, Hon. Justice Jean Hazel Dalton, took her oath before Cabinet Ministers, on 25 September, at St George Government Building, Nuku’alofa.

The Hon. Justice Jean Dalton was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland (February 2011) and a Judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal (May 2022).

 She holds a Bachelor of Arts (1984) and a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours (1987) from the University of Queensland, and received the University Medal in Law in 1987.

She was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1989 and was appointed Senior Counsel on 9 November 2004.

Justice Dalton was a part-time member (2001–05) and later, president (2005–08) of the Anti-discrimination Tribunal of Queensland. She was also a part-time member of the Land Court and the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Land Tribunal (2004–2011).

She was also a council member of the Bar Association of Queensland (2003–07) and the Legal Practitioner Admissions Board (2004–06).