Results for appeal

Manly Palu (25), a drunk driver who injured a family in a collision, had his three years prison sentence reduced by one year, in a successful appeal against the sentence recently. The Court of Appeal in Nuku'alofa reduced his sentence to two years imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended on conditions.

The Tonga Appeal Court, in allowing an appeal by the Speaker to stop a judicial review of parliamentary procedure, recommended that the Rules of Procedure of the Tonga Legislative Assembly be amended if the practice of the use of circulars to pass substantial expenditures was to continue.

A Crown application was granted to appeal against the sentencing of Falakiko ‘Asisi Mafi (43) on the grounds that it was manifestly inadequate for reckless driving, causing the death of his Fijian wife.

Samiu Mafi was ordered to serve a sentence of one-year imprisonment for drugs offences imposed by the Magistrates Court, after his appeal was dismissed when he failed to demonstrate that the ruling was wrong.

An appeal by the Crown against a three-year fully suspended sentence imposed on Kapeni Tamo’ua on charges, including possession of 3kgs of cocaine in the Vava’u haul was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Nuku’alofa.

A prolific armed robber, Rodney Toki (27), must serve another two years in prison, to be added onto a 12 years sentence he is already serving, the Appeal Court ruled this month. “This is one of those rare cases where there is little if any hope of his rehabilitation. The protection of society requires that he remain imprisoned for a lengthy period, which properly reflects the total seriousness of his two distinct bouts of criminal offending," stated the Appeal Court ruling.

Uaine Palesi Fa (27) was sentenced to imprisonment by the Appeal Court, after overturning his suspended sentence initially imposed by the Supreme Court in 2022, for possession of 28.55 grams of cocaine in Vava'u.

Two former police officers who are in jail for common assault, after they punched and kicked a defenceless 21-year-old in Vava’u, will not be allowed to appeal their sentences. President of the Appeal Court, Lord Chief Justice Whitten, in his ruling on 12 December rejected their applications, as they had no reasonable prospects of success.

The Appeal Court dismissed an appeal by Lord Fohe who was trying to evict Ve'etutu Mahe from a piece of land on his estate at Puke, Tongatapu.