Privy Council slaps new ban on Taimi 'o Tonga
Title -- 4012 TONGA: Privy Council slaps new ban on Taimi 'o Tonga
Date -- 5 April 2003
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio New Zealand International 5/4/03
Copyright -- RNZI
Status -- Unabridged
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TONGA PRIVY COUNCIL ISSUES NEW BAN ON TAIMI 'O TONGA NEWSPAPER
www.rnzi.com
* Fight for justice
NUKU'ALOFA (Radio NZI/Pacific Media Watch): Tonga’s Privy Council has reimposed a ban on the kingdom’s main independent newspaper, the Taimi 'o Tonga, just half an hour after the Supreme Court ruled an earlier ban was illegal.
The Supreme Court released a ruling yesterday saying that the government acted unlawfully in banning the Auckland-published paper from the country.
It was shut out of Tonga in late February after the government claimed it was trying to overthrow the government and create disaffection among the people.
It later expanded the ban, making the paper a prohibited document.
The publisher, Kalafi Moala, had this to say shortly after the Supreme Court ruling was handed down.
“I'm extremely thrilled with the decision. I had to go to Tonga, we had a New Zealand lawyer who came to Tonga to represent us. The case was about a week. We spent a lot of energy, time and money on it and so to get this kind of result is very gratifying.”- Kalafi Moala
But he says 20 minutes after hearing the result a lawyer for the Privy Council told his Tonga based staff a further ban had been imposed.
Moala says the legal advice they have is that this ban is also illegal, but he says the Council has the ability to bring in law changes.
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