The president of Tonga’s Law Society Loupua Kiola Kulī has been appointed senior magistrate of Tonga’s lower courts.
The appointment came as the Ministry of Justice moved to recruit more judges to help manage the lower courts increasing workload.
As Kaniva news reported recently, processing of court cases had been repeatedly delayed and the Office of the Attorney General were overloaded and understaffed, Lawyer William Clive Edwards Snr had claimed during a televised radio programme late last year.
Tonga’s Magistrate Courts experienced a shortage of magistrates with their number dropping to four in 2010.
Kulī is the third female magistrate after ‘Elisapeta Langi and Vūsenga Helu.
Kulī was presented with a gold medal during the USP 2010 graduation as part of her LLB qualification awards. In 2016 she was graduated with a Master Of Laws.
She is the daughter of Mafi Kiola of Houma, Tongatapu, and Sūlia Kiola of Ha’afeva, Ha’apai.
Kulī is married to Ma’afu Kulī of Lapaha and they have two children.
