Results for Lord Chief Justice O. G. Paulsen

The Minister for Justice has been taken off the no fly list and can travel abroad as of July 19 as approved by the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa.

Tonga’s former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano pleaded not guilty today to a total of 15 charges, with 12 of those charges including perjury and accepting bribes, relating to the issuance of Tongan passports, and three charges for possession of firearms and ammunition without a license.

Mele Tokilupe Hausia (24) received a two-year suspended sentence for three charges, including forging a Government bond while an employee of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga. “I consider the accused’s offending was audacious,” the judge stated.

Tonga Broadcom Ltd. was fined $1,500 pa’anga to be paid within 60 days after being convicted of broadcasting an interview of the Deputy Prime Minister Semisi Sika on the polling day of Tonga's General Election in 2017. The judge found that the broadcast was a clear expression of support for the candidate.

‘Emilio To’a has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Siaosi ‘Okusitino Tupa, who died after being stabbed multiple times with a knife during a drunken brawl at Fangaloto in March, 2018.

A 23-year-old woman was allowed a fully suspended prison sentence of 21 months after being convicted of reckless driving causing grievous bodily harm to a woman in Havelu last year, when she drove while under the influence of alcohol.

An application for adoption made by the natural parents who wanted to adopt their own three illegitimate children, was declined by Tonga's Chief Justice in an unusual case.

Hateni Kaufusi (32) was sentenced to five-years nine-months imprisonment for manslaughter, when he stabbed Tolifili Tu'alau with a pair of scissors during a fight at Te’ekiu in February last year.

Pacific Games plaintiffs who are trying to sue the Kingdom of Tonga for multi-million pa'anga damages over its cancelling of the Pacific Games hosting in 2019, have been given leave to amend their claims, after the Chief Justice found their statement of claim was seriously defective. The defendant, the Kingdom of Tonga, had applied to strike out / or stay the plaintiffs claims.