Tongan lawyers accused the Government yesterday of trying to influence the judiciary and called an inquiry into the independence of judges a farce.
"The judiciary is no longer independent in Tonga," said Law Society president Laki Niu.
He was responding to a statement from Prime Minister Feleti Sevele's
office that Tonga's Privy Council had approved an inquiry into claims the Government "has attempted unduly to influence the independence of the judiciary".