Tonga's new Attorney General Mr Neil Adsett was appointed as a Senior Counsel by Chief Justice Hon Michael Dishington Scott, at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on Friday, March 16.

Chief Justice Scott said that he had known him since the 1980s.

Neil lived in Tonga for two years from 1988 and completed the revised edition of the Tongan laws that is still in use, and lately he was in Tonga updating the laws and was responsible for the legal process involved in the Constitutional and Electoral Reforms.

Chief Justice Scott said that Mr Adsett has been a barrister and solicitor for over 30 years and was a Law Revision Commissioner in many countries around the world, "and coming to Tonga to work for us during the next four years, he brought with him a wealth of wisdom and experiences."

Neil Adsett was appointed as Tonga's ninth Attorney General in November 2011, but did not take up his post until January 2012. He is the first Attorney General to be appointed under the reformed constitution of Tonga where the duties and the independence of an Attorney General is clearly spelled out. He is the principle legal advisor to Cabinet and Government and is the head of the Crown Law Office.

In 2007 Neil was appointed as the Acting Anti-Corruption Commissioner, when Tonga established an Anti-Corruption Commission.

In response to his appointment by Chief Justice Scott as a Senior Counsel Neil said he was very pleased with his new appointment. "I am also very pleased that Tonga has a very efficient Crown Law office headed by the Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu with his 10 lawyers, a dedicated team."

He said that he looked forward to co-hosting the first Legal Aid Public consultation on March 19 in Nuku'alofa, to look at establishing a formal Legal Aid policy and framework in Tonga.

A legal aid system provides legal aid assistance to persons who have limited or no financial means.