22 Aug 2018

Samoan PM sued over Land Titles Registration Act

6:16 pm on 22 August 2018

Samoa's Prime Minister has been named as a defendant in the nearly $US2 million lawsuit over the Government's Land Titles Registration Act.

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Photo: RNZI / Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia

The lawsuit was filed last week by the Samoa Solidarity International Group Global, who has questioned the legality and the constitutionality of the act.

Others named in the civil claim are the Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, former Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Samoa Land Corporation.

The group is asking the court to void the 2008 Act and that all customary land leases be returned to their original and traditional state of ownership prior to the act.

It also wants all customary land owners to be returned their ownership status immediately and others occupying the land be removed.

The Samoa Observer reported there were six causes of actions in total outlined in the claim.

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