Owen Paulsen

Owen Paulsen
Chief Justice of Tonga
In office
January 2015 – July 2019
Preceded byMichael Dishington Scott
Succeeded byMichael Hargreaves Whitten

Owen Paulsen is a New Zealand jurist, who served as Chief Justice of Tonga from 2015 to 2019. Since August 2019 he has been an associate justice of the High Court of New Zealand.

Paulsen was educated at Shirley Boys' High School and the University of Canterbury, and later at the University of Auckland.[1] He worked as a solicitor and later a partner for Harman & Co, and then as a member of the Employment Tribunal.[2] He later worked for the law firm Cavell Leitch.

In January 2015 he was appointed Chief Justice of Tonga, replacing Michael Dishington Scott.[3] As Chief Justice he quashed the sacking of Tonga Broadcasting Commission directors 'Eseta Fusitu'a and Tunakaimanu Fielakepa,[4] and oversaw the corruption trial of government minister ʻEtuate Lavulavu.[5] He also oversaw the TONGASAT case, which found that US$50 million paid to Tongasat by the government of China was invalid and unlawful.[6]

In July 2019 he resigned as Chief Justice after being appointed as an associate justice of the High Court of New Zealand.[7][8] He was replaced as Chief Justice by Michael Hargreaves Whitten.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Old Boys In the News: Owen Paulsen". The Parade. October 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Owen Paulsen appointed Associate High Court Judge". New Zealand Law Society. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Tonga's new Chief Justice begins job". RNZ. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Tongan Court quashes removal of two TBC board members". RNZ. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Tongan minister found guilty of bribery". RNZ. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Tonga's Supreme Court rules in favour of PM in China space case". Loop Tonga. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Lord Chief Justice Paulsen appointed to New Zealand High Court; will sit in Christchurch". Kaniva Tonga. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  8. ^ Sol Dolor (3 August 2019). "New High Court judges named". NZ Lawyer. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. ^ "New Chief Justice named as Justice Michael Hargreaves Whitten". Kaniva Tonga. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Swearing-In of Associate Judge Owen Paulsen, Christchurch, 2 August 2019". New Zealand Bar Association. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2022.