The Attorney-General of Samoa is a constitutional and legal officer in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

, responsible for advising the government on legal matters and bringing criminal proceedings. The current Attorney-General is

Su'a Hellene Wallwork Su'a Hellene Wallwork-Lamb is a Samoan lawyer and jurist. Since September 2021 she has been Attorney-General of Samoa. Su'a is from Lefaga and was educated at the University of Auckland. After working in the Office of the Attorney-General, she r ...

. The Attorney-General is established as a constitutional officer by clause 41 of the

Constitution of Samoa The Constitution of Samoa is a written constitution which is the supreme law in Samoa. It establishes Samoa as a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system and responsible government. It outlines the structure and powers of the Samoan go ...

. They are appointed by the ''

O le Ao o le Malo The ''O le Ao o le Malo'' ( Samoan for "Head of State") is the head of state of Samoa. The position is described in Part III of the 1960 Samoan constitution. At the time the constitution was adopted, it was anticipated that future heads of st ...

'' acting on the advice of the

Prime Minister of Samoa The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa ( sm, Palemia o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Sāmoa) is the head of government of Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo (Hea ...

and must be qualified to be a Judge of the

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 He ...

. Further functions of the office are specified in the ''Attorney General's Office Act 2013''. In addition to serving as chief executive of the

Attorney General's Office The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is a department of His Majesty's Government that supports the Attorney General and their deputy, the Solicitor General (together, the Law officers of the Crown in England and Wales). It is sometimes referred ...

, the Attorney-General also has a statutory duty to attend and advise the

Cabinet of Samoa The Cabinet is the executive branch of the government of the Independent State of Samoa. Per article 31(1) of the Constitution, executive power is vested in the Head of State. Per article 26(1), however, "the Head of State in the performance o ...

, and to supervise legal services and officials in other Ministries and government agencies. In performing their legal and constitutional functions, the Attorney-General is statutorily independent.''Attorney General's Office Act 2013'', section 7.

List of Attorneys-General of Samoa

Tuiloma Neroni Slade Tuiloma Neroni Slade (born 8 April 1941) held the post of secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat from 2008 to 4 December 2014. He was elected to the position for three years on 20 August 2008. Slade was reappointed to a sec ...

(1976 - 1982) *

Misa Telefoni Retzlaff Misa Telefoni Retzlaff (born Hermann Theodor Retzlaff, 21 May 1952) is a Samoan author and retired politician who served as the deputy prime minister of Samoa and deputy leader of the Human Rights Protection Party from 2001 to 2011. A member of ...

(1986 - 1988) * Patu Tiava'asu'e Falefatu Sapolu (1988 - 1991) * Tupa'i Seapa * Brenda Heather-Latu (1997 - 2006) * Ming Leung Wai (2006 - 2016) *

Lemalu Herman Retzlaff Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff is a Samoan New Zealander lawyer. He served as Attorney-General of Samoa from 2016 to 2020. He is the son of former attorney-general and deputy prime minister Misa Telefoni Retzlaff. Early life and career Retzlaff was bo ...

(2016 - 2020) *

Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale is a Samoan lawyer and jurist. From July 2020 to September 2021, she served as Attorney-General of Samoa. Previously she had served as the first female president of the Samoa Law Society. Annandale was educated ...

(2020 - 2021) *

(2021 -)

References

External links

Office of the Attorney-General
Government of Samoa Attorneys General of Samoa Prosecution {{Samoa-stub