Magistrate orders media restrictions on Dalgety case [1]
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - 22:42. Updated on Sunday, May 25, 2014 - 21:57.
A media restriction was imposed today on the court proceedings of a case between the Police and Ramsay R. Dalgety who is charged with perjury.
At a bail hearing this morning, March 3, a court order issued by Magistrate Sione 'Etika stated that, "There shall be no media publication of the proceedings of today and onwards relating to the Defendant except of what appears on the orders of the court available from the court registry on requests or from counsels."
The magistrate also ordered that, "Any publication from these orders shall be exact and strictly limited to what appears on such orders, any representations falling short or beyond that pertaining to mislead the audience and the public shall be deemed contempt of court."
The media restrictions were stated as the final points in an order adjourning the defendant's case to Monday, March 22, 2010 for committal proceedings on papers.
Bail
The Magistrate ordered that the appellant is to be released on bail by two reliable sureties on the following conditions:
"i. the appellant shall indemnify with $1,000 while the two sureties shall indemnify themselves with $800 each.
"ii. The appellant is not to leave Tongatapu or the Kingdom of Tonga without leave of this court.
"iii. The Appellant's passport and all travelling documents are to be surrendered into the custody of the court."
Lord Dalgety was represented in court by his counsel, Tavake Afeaki and Mr Hirschfeld.