ʻAsipeli ʻAminiasi Kefu is a Tongan lawyer and civil servant who has served as Solicitor General of Tonga. From 2014 to 2019 he was acting Attorney General of Tonga.
ʻAminiasi Kefu | |
---|---|
Attorney General of Tonga | |
In office 26 June 2014 – 21 March 2019 | |
Prime Minister | Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō ʻAkilisi Pōhiva |
Preceded by | Neil Adsett |
Succeeded by | Linda Folaumoetu'i |
Kefu was educated at Tonga High School and Nelson College.[1] He studied law at the University of Waikato and Victoria University of Wellington,[2] where he wrote a Masters thesis on "Recent constitutional developments in Tonga : where to now?".[3] He later studied public sector management at Massey University.[2] He worked as an assistant legal officer for Tonga's Crown Law Department from 1997 and became a Senior Crown Counsel in 2002.[2] In July 2008 he became acting Solicitor General. The appointment was made permanent in April 2009.[2] As Solicitor-General, he was responsible for prosecutions over the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots,[4] including the unsuccessful prosecution of pro-democracy members of Parliament.[5] He also gave evidence at the inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika,[6] and managed the subsequent criminal prosecutions.[7]
Following the departure of Attorney-General Neil Adsett he became acting Attorney-General.[8][9] While expected to be a short-term position,[10] Kefu remained in the role until he was replaced by Linda Folaumoetu'i in March 2019.[11] In February 2015 he was accused of interfering with the judiciary over his sentencing recommendation for former Speaker of the legislative Assembly Lord Tuʻilakepa.[12] In 2017 he defended King Tupou VI's controversial decision to dissolve the legislative assembly and call early elections in an unsuccessful effort to unseat the elected government of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva.[13]
After retiring as Attorney-General in 2019 he moved to New Zealand, where he became a crown prosecutor and served on the board of rugby team Moana Pasifika.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Introducing our Moana Pasifika board". Moana Pasifika. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Constitutional and Electoral Reform in Tonga" (PDF). New Zealand Center for Public Law. 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Kefu, ʻAsipeli ʻAminiasi (2005). Recent constitutional developments in Tonga : where to now? (LLM). Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "107 so far convicted of involvement in destruction during riots in Tonga". RNZ. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Trial of five Tongan MPs postponed". RNZ. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga's solicitor general testifies at Ashika inquiry". RNZ. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga's solicitor general says four accused in Ashika trial must have known of deficiency". RNZ. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga's Attorney General steps down". Kaniva Tonga. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga's Attorney General to step down". RNZ. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Kalino Latu (18 April 2016). "'Aminiasi Kefu remains as Tonga's acting attorney general, king says". Kaniva Tonga. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Kalino Latu (27 March 2019). "Linda Folaumoetu'i appointed Tonga's new Attorney General". Kaniva Tonga. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tongan PM slams Attorney-General over gun case". RNZ. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga's AG says King's decisions can't be challenged". RNZ. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2022.