A 12-year-old was arrested by the police after being falsely accused of theft. He was in police custody for 20 hours before being released. In police custody, he was beaten. The officer pled guilty. In awarding the minor monetary compensation, the Supreme Court of Tonga had to consider whether the CRC came into play when minors were possibly being tortured. The Court hinted that courts in Tonga should be willing to be bound by its terms. The Court also cautioned that, considering the average Tongan’s income, future money damages should be kept in proportion to reality. This was the first application of the CRC in Tongan courts (but not the first application of a human rights convention, as seen in 2005 in R v Vola). Both cases show a departure from traditional Tongan courts’ reluctance to apply international human rights standards.

[link]