Lesieli was admitted to the bar in 2003 and initially worked in Melbourne for an International Commerce and Intellectual Property Firm for three years before moving to Tonga where she worked as a Crown Prosecutor. There, she was lead prosecutor in the Supreme Court appearing in Jury Trials for serious criminal offending (manslaughter, rape, drug and dishonesty charges), civil litigation and land disputes. She also undertook appellate work appearing in the Court of Appeal Circuit. She also advised and represented the Government of Tonga on a range of issues including WTO, Heath, Education, Anti-Money Laundering, Trade and Fisheries management.

After completing her LLM at Auckland in 2010, Lesieli began working as a Police Prosecutor. Between 2015 and 2016, she worked as a Solicitor in a general practice Law Firm in New Market. Lesieli joined the Independent Bar in 2019.

Lesieli acts on both private and legal aid instruction. She has a wide range of experience in the areas of civil, family and employment law. She is of Tongan and NZ European descent. She is also a speaker of Tongan, Te Reo Maori and Japanese.

Degree(s) Held: LL.B, BA in Languages and Linguistics(Otago), LL.M (Auckland)
Year Admitted: 2003 – New Zealand, 2006 – Tonga
Barrister Sole: 2019
Areas of Practice: Criminal, Civil and Employment

Contact details:

E – l.mafi@libertylaw.co.nz
P – 09 262 1136 (follow prompt for extension)
M – +64 21 258 4238