Government Of Samoa
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Government Of Samoa
Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government. Existing alongside the country's Western-styled political system is the '' fa'amatai'' chiefly system of socio-political governance and organisation, central to understanding Samoa's political system. From the country's independence in 1962, only ''matai'' could vote and stand as candidates in elections to parliament. In 1990, the voting system was changed by the Electoral Amendment Act which introduced universal suffrage. However, the right to stand for elections remains with ''matai'' title holders. Therefore, in the 51-seat parliament, all 49 ''Samoan'' Members of Parliament are also ''matai'', performing dual roles as chiefs and modern politicians, with the exception of the two seats reserved for non-Samoans. At the local level, much of the country's civil and criminal matters are dealt with by some 360 village chief ...
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Parliamentary System
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the legislature, typically a parliament, to which it is accountable. In a parliamentary system, the head of state is usually a person distinct from the head of government. This is in contrast to a presidential system, where the head of state often is also the head of government and, most importantly, where the executive does not derive its democratic legitimacy from the legislature. Countries with parliamentary systems may be constitutional monarchies, where a monarch is the head of state while the head of government is almost always a member of parliament, or parliamentary republics, where a mostly ceremonial president is the head of state while the head of government is regularly from the legislature. In a few parliamentary republics, among ...
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Faʻatuatua I Le Atua Samoa Ua Tasi
(FAST; English: "Samoa United in Faith") is a political party in Samoa. It was founded by MP La'auli Leuatea Polataivao and is currently led by Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa. Formation The party was registered on 30 July 2020, and in August 2020 began announcing candidates for the 2021 Samoan general election. It opposes controversial constitutional amendments proposed by the Human Rights Protection Party government of Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, and supports a two term limit for the prime minister. It also supports decentralising services to villages. On 28 August 2020, party leader La'auli Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt was re-elected to Parliament in the 2020 Gagaifomauga No. 3 by-election. Thus becoming the party’s first elected MP. On 2 September 2020, the party announced it would join forces with the Samoa National Democratic Party and Tumua ma Puleono parties to contest the 2021 election. SNDP and Tumua ma Puleono candidates ran under the FAST banner, wit ...
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Satiu Simativa Perese
Satiu Simativa Perese (born 1962) is a Samoan judge. He has served as the Chief Justice of Samoa since 12 June 2020. Perese was born in Magiagi, Samoa and educated at Magiagi Primary School. His family moved to New Zealand when he was a child. He studied business at Massey University and then became a newsreader for Radio New Zealand. In 1986 he began studying law at Victoria University of Wellington, from which he graduated in 1989, and he was admitted to the bar in 1990. He subsequently worked for the New Zealand Crown Law Office. In 1995 he became the first Samoan to win a Harkness Fellowship, and studied at Columbia University in New York. Perese was admitted to the bar in Samoa in 1999, and has also worked in the Cook Islands. From 2000 to 2002 he was President of the Pacific Lawyers Society, and in 2002 he was appointed as inaugural chair of the National Pacific Radio Trust, which operates the Pacific Media Network. From 2003 to 2009 he was a member of the New Zealand Hum ...
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Chief Justice Of Samoa
The Chief Justice of Samoa ( sm, Faamasino Sili o le Faamasinoga Sili o Samoa) is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Samoa. The qualifications and powers of the office are governed by Part VI of the Constitution of Samoa and the Judicature Ordinance 1961. The position is currently held by Satiu Simativa Perese. History Under the American–British–German condominium, the Supreme Court of Justice for Samoa was established by Article III of the Treaty of Berlin (1889), with the single judge of the court being called the Chief Justice per Section 1 of that Article. The first Chief Justice was Swedish jurist Conrad Cedercrantz, who was appointed in 1890. The position of Chief Justice was subsequently held by Americans Henry Clay Ide from 1893 to 1897 and William Lea Chambers from 1897 to 1899. Chambers' ruling in the kingship dispute between Malietoa Tanumafili I and Mata'afa Iosefo in December 1898 angered the Germans and led to the Second Samoan Civil War. After the ...
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Land And Titles Court Of Samoa
The Land and Titles Court of Samoa is a specialist court dealing with Matai titles and customary land in Samoa. The Court was originally established in 1903 under the German colonial administration as a Land Commission. It was continued under the New Zealand colonial administration, and formally became a court of record in 1934, though it was not renamed until 1937. It was continued by part IX of the Constitution of Samoa, which provided it with "such composition and with such jurisdiction in relation to Matai titles and customary land as may be provided by Act". Colonial law governing the Court was repealed in 1981, and replaced with the ''Land and Titles Act 1981''. The Court consists of a President, who must be qualified to be a Judge of the Supreme Court or as a Samoan Judge, and a number of Samoan Judges and Assessors, who must be qualified "by reason of character, ability, standing and reputation". Judges are appointed by the Head of State on the advice of the Judicial Ser ...
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Supreme Court Of Samoa
The Supreme Court of Samoa () is the superior court dealing with the administration of justice in Samoa. It was established by Part VI of the Constitution of Samoa. It consists of the Chief Justice of Samoa and other judges as appointed by the Head of State on the advice of the Prime Minister of Samoa. Judges serve until they reach the age of 68 years, and can only be removed from office on the address of the Legislative Assembly on grounds of misbehaviour or infirmity; this requires a two-thirds majority of all MPs. Acting Judges may be appointed for a fixed term. The court has jurisdiction over the interpretation of the constitution, enforcement of fundamental rights, and membership of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. It also has "such original, appellate and revisional jurisdiction as may be provided by Act". At present this is criminal jurisdiction where there is a statutory maximum sentence of more than seven years and a civil jurisdiction where the amount claimed is more ...
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Common Law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresence in the sky, but the articulate voice of some sovereign or quasi sovereign that can be identified," ''Southern Pacific Company v. Jensen'', 244 U.S. 205, 222 (1917) (Oliver Wendell Holmes, dissenting). By the early 20th century, legal professionals had come to reject any idea of a higher or natural law, or a law above the law. The law arises through the act of a sovereign, whether that sovereign speaks through a legislature, executive, or judicial officer. The defining characteristic of common law is that it arises as precedent. Common law courts look to the past decisions of courts to synthesize the legal principles of past cases. '' Stare decisis'', the principle that cases should be decided according to consistent principled rules so ...
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Tuimaleali'ifano
Tuimaleali'ifano is one of the four paramount chiefly titles of Samoa, known as the ''Tama-a-Aiga'' ("Sons of the Families"). Samoa's other three paramount chiefs are Malietoa, Mata'afa and Tupua Tamasese. The seat of the Tuimaleali'ifano title is at Falelatai in the Aʻana district. The current title-holder is Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II, who has held the title since 1977 and currently serves as ''O le Ao o le Malo'' (head of state). Origins The title is the most recent of the ''Tama-a-Aiga'', originating in the mid-nineteenth century with Tuiaana Sualauvi, a nephew of Malietoa Fitisemanu I. Sualauvi was appointed ''Tui A'ana'' in 1848. By the early 1860s he had also been appointed to the pāpā titles of Gatoaitele and Vaetamasoalii. In 1869, he obtained the support of Fuataga and Tafua of Aleipata and Moeono and Tusa of Falefa and Lufilufi and was appointed ''Tui Atua'', briefly ascending to the position of ''Tupu Tafa-ifa''. His reign however, would only last a ...
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Universal Suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stance, subject only to certain exceptions as in the case of children, felons, and for a time, women.Suffrage
''Encyclopedia Britannica''.
In its original 19th-century usage by reformers in Britain, ''universal suffrage'' was understood to mean only ; the vote was extended to women later, during the



Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi
Tui or TUI may refer to: Places * Tui, Pontevedra, Spain * Tui, Iran, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Tui, North Khorasan, North Khorasan Province, Iran * Tui Province, Burkina Faso * Tuis District, Costa Rica * Tui railway station, New Zealand Computing * Tangible user interface, in which people interact with digital information through the physical environment * Text-based user interface, as distinct from a graphical user interface * Touch user interface, a computer-pointing technology Organisations * TUI Group, a tour operator ** TUIfly, several airlines owned by TUI Group ** TUI Travel, a British leisure travel group that merged with TUI Group * North Tui Sports, a 1930s New Zealand aircraft * Teachers' Union of Ireland, a trade union * Trident University International, an online university in the United States Other uses * Tūī, a New Zealand native bird * Tui (name), a Polynesian given name and surname * Tui (beer), a brand of beer, named after the bird * Tui (intelle ...
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Malietoa Tanumafili II
Malietoa Tanumafili II (4 January 1913 – 11 May 2007), addressed Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, was the Malietoa, the title of one of Samoa's four paramount chiefs, and the head of state, or ''O le Ao o le Malo'', a position that he held for life, of Samoa from 1962 to 2007. He was co-head of state in 1962 with the ''tama-a-'aiga'' Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole and became the sole head of state on 15 April 1963 upon the death of his co-regent. At the time of his death, he was the oldest national leader in the world, and was also the last incumbent president-for-life in the world. His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II was also the first head of state to be a follower of the Bahá’í Faith. The Malietoa is one of the four ''tama-a-'aiga'' (maximal lineage) titles of Samoa, alongside Tupua Tamasese, Mata-afa and Tuimalealiifano. Following an extended period deliberation, the Malietoa title passed to his eldest son, Malietoa Fa’amausili Molī. Early and personal life His Highnes ...
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