Kaniva News has issued a formal apology after the Supreme Court of Tonga found the outlet had breached a non‑publication order by identifying the complainant in the sentencing of Viliami Taumoepenu.
The Court notified the publisher that naming the complainant violated a suppression order made under section 119 of the Criminal Offences Act, which prohibits the publication of any information that may reveal the identity of a complainant in offences of a sexual or indecent nature.
The breach appeared in a news article reporting on Taumoepenu’s conviction and sentence.
In response, Kaniva News said the breach was inadvertent and occurred during the editorial process after the judgment was uploaded for reporting.
The publication removed the identifying information immediately after being notified by the Court.
“Kaniva News apologises unreservedly to the complainant for the inadvertent breach of the Court’s order,” the publication said.
“We take the Court’s directive seriously and have now corrected the article to ensure full compliance with the law.
We are reviewing our editorial procedures to prevent any recurrence.”
The Supreme Court has issued a first warning to Kaniva News, stating that any future breach will be dealt with “in a severe manner.”
Kaniva News says it remains committed to responsible reporting and ensuring that all court‑ordered publication restrictions are strictly followed in future articles.
