Taniela "Dan" Hoko’ila Tufui, styled Lord Tufui of Talaheu (died 19 April 2016) was a

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

n lawyer and civil servant. He was the first Tongan to serve as Solicitor-General of Tonga, and was later appointed to the

Privy Council of Tonga The Privy Council of Tonga is the highest ranking council to advise the Monarch in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is empowered to advise the King in his capacity as Head of State and Fountain of Justice under the provisions of Clause 50 ( 1 ) of the Cons ...

. Tufui was educated at

Marist College Ashgrove , motto_translation = Act Courageously , location = Ashgrove, Brisbane, Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia Queensland , pushpin_im ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia before studying law at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = ...

. He returned to Tonga in 1964, and was appointed Solicitor-General the following year - the first Tongan to hold the role. In 1971, he was part of the Tongan delegation to the first meeting of the

South Pacific Forum The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...

, and to the

South Pacific Commission The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, ...

Conference. He served as Solicitor-General until 1972, and was then appointed Secretary to the Government and Cabinet Secretary. In this role, he was Tonga's delegate to the Pacific maritime conference at

Waitangi, Northland Waitangi ( or , ) is a locality in the Bay of Islands on the North Island of New Zealand. It is close to the town of Paihia (of which it is considered a part), 60 kilometres north of Whangarei. "Waitangi" is a Māori-language name meaning ...

, where he opposed the

New Zealand Seafarers' Union New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

demand that shipping to the Pacific be staffed by New Zealand crews. He later led trade delegations to New Zealand, and served as chair of the board of Pacific Forum Line. After retiring from the civil service in 2001 he was appointed to the Higher Salaries Review Committee, and then in 2004 to the

National Committee for Political Reform National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland ...

. In October 2006 he served briefly as Chief Justice of Tonga while Anthony Ford was in New Zealand. In July 2008 he was appointed to the Judicial Committee of the

as a law lord, becoming Lord Tufui of Talaheu. He died in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vi ...

, Australia on 19 April 2016.

Honours

;National honours * The_Most_Illustrious_Order_of_Queen_Salote_Tupou_III_Member

Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III The ''Most Illustrious'' Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III is a knighthood order of the Kingdom of Tonga. History The Order was established on 28 June 2008 by His Late Majesty King George Tupou V to commemorate the grand figure of his grandmot ...

, Grand Cross (31 July 2008).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tufui, Taniela Hoko'ila 2016 deaths Tongan lawyers Tongan civil servants Solicitors-General of Tonga University of Queensland alumni Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of Tonga members Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III Tongan nobles