Mele Tuilotolava, also known as Mary, is a Tongan-New Zealand lawyer. She was the first Pasifika New Zealander to graduate in law from a New Zealand university. Tuilotolava graduated in law in 1982. In 1989 she opened her own legal practice in

Manukau, Auckland Manukau (), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland CBD, Auckland Central Business District, west of the Auckland ...

, focusing on family court work and representing children in matters related to their care and protection, justice and guardianship. One of her more high-profile cases was in 2009, when she was the

defence lawyer A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jur ...

for Lisa Kuka during her trial for the neglect of daughter

Nia Glassie Nia Marie Glassie was a three-year-old girl who was violently abused and eventually killed by her mother's boyfriend and his brother in Rotorua, New Zealand. Her death in 2007 sparked a high-profile criminal investigation and subsequent murder t ...

. Tuilotolava has also been active in

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

related issues. She has been a member of the National Ethics Committee for Health and Disability and was a Trustee of Ta Pasefika Primary Health Organisation, a major provider of health services in

South Auckland South Auckland is an imprecisely defined urban area of Auckland, New Zealand, with a young population, a relatively large Polynesian and Māori demographic, and lower incomes than other parts of Auckland. The name ''South Auckland'', though not ...

and Auckland. until 2010. Tuilotolava was a member of the Pacific Peoples Focus Group at the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

for three years, finishing in 2002. She has provided legal clinics at the Mangere Citizens’ Advice Bureau and on radio talkback shows. She is active in the

Auckland District Law Society The Auckland District Law Society is the professional body for barristers and solicitors practising in the Auckland region of New Zealand. It operates in conjunction with the New Zealand Law Society The New Zealand Law Society ( mi, Te Kāhui ...

and is a member of the Pacific Lawyers Association and Manukau Lawyers Association. Tuilotolava has also been involved in a number of other Pasifika community groups including the National Council of Tongan Women, the Tongan Women's Association, and the Auckland Pacific Island Community Radio Trust.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuilotolava, Mele Living people New Zealand people of Tongan descent Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century New Zealand lawyers 21st-century New Zealand lawyers 21st-century New Zealand women lawyers 20th-century New Zealand women lawyers