TONGA

Interpretation (Amendment) Act 2009
No. 13 of 2009.

I assent,
PRINCESS SALOTE PILOLEVU TUITA, 
20th January, 2010

AN ACT

TO AMEND THE INTERPRETATION ACT.

BE IT ENACTED by the King and Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the Legislature of the Kingdom as follows:

 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Interpretation (Amendment) Act 2009. 

(2) This Act shall come into force on the same day as the Maritime Zones Act 2009. 

(3) The Interpretation Act (Cap. 1) shall be referred to in this Act, as the Principal Act.

 2. Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following new definitions in the appropriate places – 

""archipelagic waters" means any waters, other than internal waters, enclosed by archipelagic baselines;"; 

""contiguous zone" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; 

""exclusive economic zone" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; 

""continental shelf" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; 

""historic waters" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; 

""Internal waters" means: 

(a) in respect of archipelagic waters, all waters landward of the closing lines; and 

(b) in any other case, all waters landward of any baselines;"; 

""maritime cultural zone" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; 

""maritime zones" means the: 

(a) archipelagic waters; 

(b) contiguous zone; 

(c) exclusive economic zone; 

(d) continental shelf; 

(e) historic waters; 

(f) internal waters; 

(g) maritime cultural zone; and 

(h) territorial sea;"; 

""territorial sea" has the meaning given to that expression by the Maritime Zones Act 2009;"; and 

""Tongan water" means – 

(a) the archipelagic waters; 

(b) the internal waters; 

(c) the historic waters; 

(d) the territorial sea; 

(e) the contiguous waters; and 

(f) the waters of the exclusive economic zone;". 

3. The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following as section 32: 

"32 Total area of the Kingdom 

Where in an Act the expression "extent and boundaries", "limits" or any other expression whatsoever is used in relation to the Kingdom to denote the total area of the Kingdom, that expression shall be construed to mean –

(a) the total area bounded by the fifteenth and twenty-third and half degrees of South latitudes and the one hundred and seventy-third and the one hundred and seventy-seventh degrees of West longitude, and the area bounded by the Proclamation made on the 15th day of June, 1972 affirming and proclaiming Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga part of the Kingdom; and 

(b) so much of the submerged lands lying within the archipelagic waters, internal waters, territorial sea and historical waters of the Kingdom as is not within the areas mentioned in paragraph (a)." 

Passed in the Legislative Assembly this 29th day of October, 2009.