Tongan lawyers sharpen courtroom skills with NZ training

A team of experienced judges and barristers are in Tonga offering specialised training to legal professionals.

Marie Dyhrberg KC is leading the team of high court and district judges and says they use role-play across the two-day workshop to enhance skills in cross-examination, advocacy and trial preparation.

“We provide a forum where we set out scenarios, and they demonstrate as if it’s a real cross-examination in court.

“We provide some sort of guidance and say, ‘How about maybe if you did it this way or do it the other way?’.

“By the end of the workshop, we are amazed how their first efforts were of a particular level, but by the time they get the final demonstration and got the confidence that they’ve got, they’ve actually improved on that level.”

The inaugural training workshop was available to the prosecution, government lawyers, and the private defence bar.

Speaking to John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Dyhrberg says this allows different sectors to work together for better outcomes.

“They've usually not met each other or talked to each other before, but they work together.

“We mix the groups so they establish relationships so that they can then approach each other. They can say, ‘Well, what is this case about? What do we have to focus on? Can we resolve it?’"

Watch Marie Dyhrberg's full interview on PMN Tonga below.

Tonga’s former acting Attorney General, Aminiasi Kefu, is among the visiting legal team members.

The New Zealand legal team also visited the prison and met with the police commissioner, attorney general and solicitor general. Dyhrberg says this complements their work in Aotearoa.

“We get some understanding of what the social mores are, what are the views, we also take that back to New Zealand.

“So when we, who work in South Auckland, as you know, lots of Pacific Islanders, that we understand more how we can better represent them, so it's very much a two-way benefit.”

Similar workshops have been carried out in Vanuatu and Sāmoa, and Dyhrberg said there is support for the training to be offered again in Tonga.

“We will be back, I can assure you. This is our first, and it will not be our last.”

Watch: Tongan lawyer Tania Sharkey sworn in as District Court Judge.