THE Supreme Court of Tonga has approved the issuing of death certificates for 50 deceased whose lives were lost in the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika ferry last August.

The applications filed by the Crown Law Department last week to the court was granted in a court order that stated that it is unnecessary to hold an inquest into the death of the person in the applications and authorised the registrar to issue the death certificates.

It is understood that in circumstances where a person had apparently died but their body could not be found there is no presumption of death until seven years has passed.

However, in this case of the Ashika sinking, if there is sufficient evidence of the circumstances resulting in the death and that is shown to the Supreme Court that a person had died, the death can be registered.

Semisi Lutui a counsel at the Crown Law Department said that applications filed included affidavits by family members and affidavits from the police stating that the person boarded the vessel.

The Government also waved the fee for death certificates, which is $4 pa'anga. The Ministry of Justice did the preliminary work on the applications.

Seventy-four people died in the Ashika, and initially some of the death certificates for the victims had been processed by private law firms.

That included the ffirst death certificates issued for the late Fetaulaki Mahe (25) and her three-year-old son Filimone Monti Mahe on May 14, 2010. Fetaulaki was one of only two bodies recovered.

It is understood that only seven Tongans and six foreigners remain to have their death certificates issued.