Petunia Tupou Explained

Petunia Tupou is a Tongan lawyer and jurist. Since 2022 she has been a judge of the Supreme Court of Tonga.

Tupou was educated at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, graduating in 1996 with a BA and LLB.^[1] She was admitted to the bar in New Zealand in 1996, and in Tonga in 1997.^[1] In September 2015 she was appointed honorary consul for the Netherlands.^[2] She is also chair of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission.^[3] In April 2021 she was appointed to the board of the Tonga Tourism Authority.^[4]

In September 2020 she was made a King's Counsel.^[5] In July 2022 she was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Tonga, replacing Laki Niu.^[6] She was the second woman appointed as a judge, after 'Elisapeti Langi.^[7] She will be sworn in on 1 August 2022.^[6]

Honours

National honours

• Order of the Crown of Tonga, Member (6 July 2021).^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Petunia Tupou . Martindale . 28 July 2022.
2. Web site: Mrs Tupou is Netherlands' consul . Nuku'alofa Times . 2 October 2015 . 4 . 28 July 2022 . Issu.
3. Web site: Tonga Broadcasting Commission . Pacific SOE. 28 July 2022.
4. Web site: Tonga’s Ministry of Tourism appoints new board members . Loop Tonga . 9 April 2021 . 28 July 2022.
5. Web site: Tonga’s women lawyers appointed King’s Counsel . Loop Tonga . 10 September 2020 . 28 July 2022.
6. Web site: Petunia Tupou appointed new Supreme Court judge . Matangi Tonga . 27 July 2022 . 28 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220728030225/https://matangitonga.to/2022/07/27/petunia-tupou-appointed-new-supreme-court-judge . 28 July 2022.
7. Web site: New female judge appointed as King’s chancellor expected to shed light on Justice Niu’s contract queries . Kaniva Tonga . 26 July 2022 . 28 July 2022.
8. Web site: King's Birthday awards . Matangi Tonga . 7 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210708062723/https://matangitonga.to/2021/07/07/king-awards . 8 July 2021.