Aliimuamua Sandra Alofivae (born ) is a New Zealand

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

Career

Alofivae set up a legal practice, King Alofivae Malosi, in 1994 with colleagues La-Verne King and Ida Malosi, and became a barrister sole in 2005. She has represented children and their families and her practice become one of the biggest child protection practices in South Auckland. She served as a Families Commissioner for six months and her work in this role influenced the 2014 Vulnerable Children’s Act. Alofivae was also elected to the Counties Manukau District Health Board in December 2010. She served two terms on the board, but did not stand again in the 2016 elections. Alofivae has been the chair of the South Auckland Social Well-Being Board, which works with the government on issues facing pre-school children. In 2018, Alofivae was appointed to a Royal Commission of Inquiry, commissioned by the

New Zealand government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...

, to investigate abuse and neglect of people in state care and in faith-based institutions. This Commission is scheduled to produce two reports: one in 2020 and one in 2023. In April 2019 the Commission did not answer questions on whether Alofivae, who is

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, had a conflict of interest. Her subsequent conflict of interest management plan provided that she would not sit on any hearings relating to the Presbyterian Church,

Honours and awards

In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Alofivae was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the Pacific community and youth. In 2018 she received a Blake Leader Award, presented by the Sir Peter Blake Trust. She also has an honorific title bestowed to her by her family in the village of Sa'anapu, Samoa.

Personal life

Alofivae grew up in

Māngere Māngere () is a major suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand, located on mainly flat land on the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of Manukau, Manukau City Centre and south of the Auckland CBD, Auckland city centre. ...

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. Her father died when she was one year old. She attended

Epsom Girls' Grammar School Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has a roll of 2,200 as of 2025, making it one of the largest schools in New Zeala ...

, describing it as "a very white school" and saying "I didn’t experience any real racism until I started high school." She is a mother of four and is a

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century New Zealand lawyers 21st-century New Zealand lawyers Lawyers from Auckland New Zealand Presbyterians New Zealand people of Samoan descent 20th-century New Zealand women lawyers 21st-century New Zealand women lawyers {{NewZealand-law-bio-stub