TONGA

Royal Commissions (Amendment) Act 2009
No. 6 of 2009

I assent,
GEORGE TUPOU V,
23rd October, 2009

TO AMEND THE ROYAL COMMISSIONS ACT
[22nd October, 2009] 
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 Royal Commissions (Amendment) Act 2009. 
(2) The Royal Commissions Act (Cap. 41), as amended, is referred to in this Act, as the Principal Act. 
2. The Principal Act is amended by inserting a new section 5A as follows: 
	"5A Appointment of Counsel, Technical and Professional Experts to assist Commission 
	(1) Commissioners may appoint one or more counsel, who shall be entitled without leave to appear in the inquiry, to assist the Commission in the performance of its duties. 
	(2) Where a Commissioner is of the opinion that the subject of an inquiry warrants it, he may appoint one or more persons with the appropriate technical or professional expertise to assist the Commission." 
3. Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by: 
	(a) deleting "$500" and replacing it with "$10,000"; and 
	(b) deleting "6 months" and replacing it with "3 years". 
4. Section 11 of the Principal Act is amended by: 
	(a) deleting "$500" and replacing it with "$10,000"; and 
	(b) deleting "6 months" and replacing it with "3 years". 
5. Section 12 of the Principal Act is amended by: 
	(a) deleting "$250" and replacing it with "$2,500"; and 
	(b) deleting "3 months" and replacing it with "2 years". 
6. Section 14 of the Principal Act is amended by: 
	(a) deleting "$250" and replacing it with "$10,000"; and 
	(b) deleting "6 months" and replacing it with "3 years". 
7. Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended as follows: 
	(a) by renumbering the provision as (1); 
	(b) by inserting in subsection (1) the words "or counsel assisting" after the word "Commissioner" wherever appearing; and 
	(c) by inserting a new subsection (2) as follows: 
	"(2) A Commissioner has, in the exercise of his duty as a Commissioner, the same protection and immunity as a Supreme Court Judge." 

Passed in the Legislative Assembly this 22nd day of October, 2009.