15 May 2003

Ban on Tongan paper back before the courts next week

5:23 pm on 15 May 2003

The judicial review of the latest Tongan Privy Council ordinance banning the New Zealand produced Taimi o Tonga newspaper, is to be held in the Tongan Supreme Court next Wednesday.

Last month the Privy Council released the new ordinance, immediately after the court ruled several earlier bans were illegal.

The government declared the paper a prohibited document and says its Privy Council rulings are not open to judicial review, but publisher, Kalafi Moala, has launched a fresh legal challenge.

He says regardless of the new Privy Council action, the initial court decision deemed the Government's actions were illegal.

The review is expected to take 1-2 days.