The Tongan Court of Appeal's 2010 session ended in Nuku'alofa on Wednesday, July 14 with the delivery of judgements.

Chief Justice Anthony Ford, the Chairman of the Tonga Court of Appeal, said that they dealt with 20 appeal cases, and of these 14 appeals were allowed, two were dismissed, one withdrawn and two were adjourned, while another case that sought leave to appeal out of time was refused.

The Chief Justice noted that these figures indicated that in a short period of just 10 days, the Appeal Court had been very busy, which was usually the case.

He said that on the behalf of the Judiciary and the Legal profession in Tonga he thanked the visiting judges: Justice James Burchett, Justice Peter Salmon and Justice Michael Moore for their enormous contribution.

Tribute

Prior to the delivery of judgements, opening remarks were made by the three visiting judges to commend the excellent work that the Chief Justice Ford had carried out during his service in Tonga.

Chief Justice Ford would leave Tonga for New Zealand to take up his new position as an Employment Judge in September.

Justice Burchett said that under the Chief Justice everything had been done to ensure fair and impartial administration of the law in Tonga is fostered and maintained.

He said at a personal level, they had all valued the help he had given them in order to fulfill their role as visiting judges of the Court of Appeal. "And I just want to say myself publicly a very sincere thank you."

Justice Salmon said that the members of the Court of Appeal who come to Tonga once a year, had found the Chief Justice as an excellent judge.

"The quality of his judgements have always been admired by us as his excellent organisations of the court. We will miss him when he goes and I am sure the bar will too."

Justice Moore said that as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Tonga had worked together at least for the last five years on various programs of reforms, which Chief Justice Ford had enthusiastically embraced.

"In that perspective, as a judge in Australia and my own personal perspective as a judge sitting in the Court of Appeal in Tonga, you are now loosing an outstanding Chief Justice," he said.

The Court of Appeal sat from July 5-14 at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Courtroom.