Attorney General (Tonga)
Encyclopedia
The position of Attorney General
was established in the Kingdom of Tonga
in 1988. From 1988 to 2009, the Attorney General jointly held the office of Minister of Justice.
The current Interim Attorney General is Barrie Sweetman, appointed in August 2011. Sweetman is a Fiji barrister, who was chairman for the Electoral Commission for Tonga's 2010 election.
The Tongan government defines the Attorney General as "Chief Legal Advisor to Government", with the following responsibilities:
As of August 2011, the Kingdom has had at least seven Attorneys General :
John Cauchi, appointed in May 2009, was the first Attorney General not to hold the portfolio of Justice Minister. He was also the first non-Tongan to hold the office, being an Australia
n citizen. He resigned the position on 30 April 2010. It is not currently clear how many people held the position between Cauchi's resignation and Sweetman's appointment. In early 2011, the CIA Factbook stated the Attorney General was [[ʻAsipeli ʻAminiasi Kefu]]. However this may have been an error, as other sources described Kefu as the Solicitor General
. Minister for Justice Samiu Vaipulu
was the Attorney General just prior to Sweetman's appointment; the latter thus disassociated the two positions, which had once again been combined in a single person.
Matangi Tonga
has noted that three of the country's Attorneys General (namely Tupou and both Taumoepeaus) "have been told to resign".
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
was established in the Kingdom of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
in 1988. From 1988 to 2009, the Attorney General jointly held the office of Minister of Justice.
The current Interim Attorney General is Barrie Sweetman, appointed in August 2011. Sweetman is a Fiji barrister, who was chairman for the Electoral Commission for Tonga's 2010 election.
The Tongan government defines the Attorney General as "Chief Legal Advisor to Government", with the following responsibilities:
- "Supporting constitutional integrity and governance; Ensuring legislative and statutory efficacy; Facilitating Government’s lawful and responsible legal dealings; Providing legal advice on law reform; Executing statutory enforcement powers; Perform [sic] responsibilities in an independent and transparent manner".
As of August 2011, the Kingdom has had at least seven Attorneys General :
- Tevita Tupou
- [[ʻAisea Taumoepeau]]
- Siaosi ʻAho
- [[ʻAlisi Afeaki Taumoepeau]] (wife of ʻAisea Taumoepeau; 2006-2009)
- John CauchiJohn CauchiJohn Cauchi is a lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Tonga from 2009 to 2010.-Career:He served as the senior Crown Counsel with Tonga's Crown Law Department in the 1990s, and subsequently as Director of Public Prosecutions in the Solomon Islands from 2004 to 2006.Cauchi was appointed as...
(2009-2010) - Samiu VaipuluSamiu VaipuluSamiu Kuita Vaipulu is Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga. He is member of the Tongan Parliament for the island of Vava'u.-Personal life:...
- Barrie Sweetman
John Cauchi, appointed in May 2009, was the first Attorney General not to hold the portfolio of Justice Minister. He was also the first non-Tongan to hold the office, being an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n citizen. He resigned the position on 30 April 2010. It is not currently clear how many people held the position between Cauchi's resignation and Sweetman's appointment. In early 2011, the CIA Factbook stated the Attorney General was [[ʻAsipeli ʻAminiasi Kefu]]. However this may have been an error, as other sources described Kefu as the Solicitor General
Solicitor General
The term Solicitor General or Solicitor-General may refer to:*Michigan Solicitor General, the top appellate advocate for the State of Michigan...
. Minister for Justice Samiu Vaipulu
Samiu Vaipulu
Samiu Kuita Vaipulu is Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga. He is member of the Tongan Parliament for the island of Vava'u.-Personal life:...
was the Attorney General just prior to Sweetman's appointment; the latter thus disassociated the two positions, which had once again been combined in a single person.
Matangi Tonga
Matangi Tonga
Matangi Tonga is an online newspaper providing Tongan news in both English and Tongan. It is operated by Vava'u Press. The newspaper's Nukualofa office was destroyed in the fires and rioting in November 2006....
has noted that three of the country's Attorneys General (namely Tupou and both Taumoepeaus) "have been told to resign".