Results for From the Courts

A Tongan noble, Tu'ilakepa has been charged with five criminal counts, including two for possession of illegal firearms, two for possession illegal ammunition and one count for possession of an illicit drug, after making his second court appearance in closed chambers at the Fasi Magistrate's Court today, December 9.

The trial of Ramsay Robertson Dalgety also known as Lord Dalgety, for perjury was quashed by Justice Robert Shuster in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court this morning, November 1, on a technicality, when he ruled that indictments must be signed and dated.

Lord Dalgety is scheduled to appear at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on Monday, November 1 for the start of his trial on a charge of perjury relating to a statement he made at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika.

Two mothers and former employees of E.M. Jones Ltd, who were serving two and a half years imprisonment sentences each for fraudulent conversion and abetment to the fraud, were released from Hu'atolitoli Prison on October 8, after the Court of Appeal upheld their appeal and suspended their imprisonment sentences.

Two separate trials will be held in February and March 2011, for four persons and the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd who are each charged with manslaughter by negligence over the death of a young mother, Vae Fetu'u Taufa, in the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika last year.

THE second session of the Tonga Court of Appeal 2010 concluded in Nuku'alofa Supreme Court today with the delivery of judgements that included dismissing an appeal made by the former Minister of Transport, Paul Karalus.

For a month now Tonga's Supreme Court has been running with only one judge, Justice Robert Shuster following the departure of former Chief Justice Anthony Ford and former Justice Warwick Andrew in August.

Four persons and the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd. who are each charged with manslaughter by negligence over the death of a young mother, Vae Fetu'u Taufa, in the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika last year, pleaded not guilty at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa on September 8.

Mr Justice Shuster is currently the Acting Chief Justice of Tonga while a substantive new Chief Justice is anticipated to be in Tonga by mid September.