Taimi publishers sue government, Privy Council over ban
Title -- 4030 TONGA: Taimi publishers sue government, Privy Council over ban
Date -- 23 April 2003
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio New Zealand International, 22/4/03
Copyright -- RNZI/PMW
Status -- Unabridged
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TAIMI PUBLISHERS TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST TONGAN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVY COUNCIL
www.rnzi.com
AUCKLAND (Radio NZI/Pacific Media Watch): The owners of the Taimi 'o Tonga newspaper, which has faced a series of bans in Tonga, have today issued court proceedings to have the latest ban overturned.
The first ban, in February, declared the Auckland produced paper an illegal import and later an illegal document in Tonga.
Those bans were ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court last month, but the Tonga Privy Council later announced a further ban on the paper.
The publisher, Kalafi Moala, says they have launched further action today in the Tongan Supreme Court against the Tongan Government and all the members of the Privy Council.
He says they believe the latest ban is unconstitutional.
“It is really no different from the ban that was issued earlier in which the Chief Justice had already ruled, declaring that it was illegal. So you see this latest ban was just another twist of the same kind of ban.” — Kalafi Moala
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