Sosaia Tupou Aleamotuʻa (23 November 1961 — 10 February 2013),
, Tonga Broadcasting Commission, 10 February 2013 styled Baron Fielakepa of Havelu, was a

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

n public servant and government minister, and a member of Tonga's hereditary nobility. His father Longolongoʻatumai Aleamotuʻa bore the title of "Lord Fielakepa" before him; Sosaia Aleamotuʻa, as the eldest son and second of six children, inherited it upon his father's death in 1997. Though he had an elder sister, the kingdom's thirty-three titles of hereditary nobility may only be held by men. He also inherited the estates attached to the title, and the traditional responsibilities thereupon. In 1984, he obtained a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree from the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, followed by a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

degree from the

International Maritime Law Institute The IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) was established in 1988 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its mission is to train specialists in maritime law. The Institu ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

in 1996. He entered public service in 1986 as Assistant Secretary in the Tongan Ministry of Justice. He was later appointed Private Secretary to King Taufaʻahau Tupou IV, and clerk to the Privy Council of Tonga. In 1998, he was appointed Governor of the

Haʻapai Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs, and shoals in the central part of Tonga. It has a combined land area of . The Tongatapu island group lies to its south, and the Vavaʻu group lies to its north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are ...

district, a position which entitled him ''ex officio'' to a seat in the Legislative Assembly, in

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

and in the Privy Council. In 2001, he was appointed Minister for Lands, Survey and Natural Resources, under Prime Minister Prince Tukuʻaho. As minister, he introduced a number of "procedural simplifications" to the policies of his department. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Chairman of the Royal Land Commission. In 2007, King

George Tupou V George Tupou V ( Tongan: Siaosi Tupou, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou; 4 May 194818 March 2012) was the King of Tonga from the death of his father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV in 2006 until his own death six years later. ...

appointed him

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

- a position which was created for him. Two years later, he was one of the first to be appointed to the equally new position of

Law Lord Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords, as a committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of ...

within the Privy Council. He was also one of the only three nobles in Tongan history (at the time) to be elevated to the title of

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

(the first having been

Baron Vaea Siaosi ʻAlipate Halakilangi Tau’alupeoko Vaea Tupou (15 May 1921 – 7 June 2009), more commonly known as Baron Vaea, was a Tongan politician who served as Prime Minister of Tonga. Vaea was a nephew of Queen Sālote, who ruled Tonga from 191 ...

in 1970). Having "suffered from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and heart problems" he died at

Auckland City Hospital Auckland City Hospital is a public hospital located in Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest hospital in New Zealand,Largest hospital in New Zealand...' - News-Medical.Net, Tuesday 29 June 2004 as well as one of the oldest medical fac ...

in New Zealand on 10 February 2013, at the age of fifty-one. Following his death King Tupou VI awarded the Fielakepa title to his younger brother, armed forces commander

Tupou Tongapo’uli Aleamotu’a Tupou is a common surname in Tonga. It may refer to: *Anthony Tupou, Australian Rugby League player * Bill Tupou, New Zealand Rugby League player *Daniel Tupou, Australian Rugby League player *Fenuki Tupou, American football offensive lineman *Josh ...

, but this decision was overturned by the Land Court, which ruled in favour of

Tupou Tongaliuaki Filo’aulo Aleamotu’a Tupou is a common surname in Tonga. It may refer to: *Anthony Tupou, Australian Rugby League player * Bill Tupou, New Zealand Rugby League player *Daniel Tupou, Australian Rugby League player *Fenuki Tupou, American football offensive lineman *Josh ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fielakepa, Baron 1961 births Place of birth missing 2013 deaths Tongan nobles University of Auckland alumni Government ministers of Tonga Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of Tonga members Governors of Haʻapai