A Response to the Report of the Special Inquiry Committee’s on matters pertaining to the Land and Titles Court

Abstract

On 27 June 2016, Samoa’s Prime Minister announced in Parliament that a special Commission of Inquiry was to be established to investigate the Samoan Land and Titles Court (the LTC). Consequentially, the Special Inquiry Committee (the Committee) was established. The Committee conducted a review of the LTC with the aim to subsequently recommend rules and procedures to expedite the efficient processes of the LTC.¹

This paper will firstly provide a brief overview of Samoa’s land and title system. Secondly, it will provide background information into the coming of this report. Thirdly, issues identified in the report will be set out followed by a summary of some of the relevant recommendations made by the Committee for the purpose of this paper. Lastly, this paper will analyse the selected recommendations outlined in this paper with an aim to address issues that have been raised. The author hopes that this response to the report provides ideas if not solutions for the continuous development of the LTC with the hope that grievances brought by the public will be adequately addressed through the application of some of this paper’s recommendations.

¹ Special Inquiry Committee on Lands & Titles Court report of the Special Inquiry Committee: Land & Titles Court Matters (2016).