P.M. on laui’a, customary land debate

Dear Editor

Re: Former Head of State “fooled” by “small Lawyers”, P.M. says

Questions have recently been raised by many people, whether our customary land is as effectively protected under our Constitution and our Land Titles Registration system as the founders of the Constitution and we ourselves had thought and hoped.

The Prime Minister has now attacked Tui Atua for suggesting that there are legitimate issues to be considered and discussed, claiming that Tui Atua  has been “fooled” by “small lawyers” and that only the Attorney - General’s view of the law should be listened to.

With  all respect to the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General, under our Constitution, it is the right of every Samoan to discuss such issues, and if they so choose, to seek the advice of persons who, by study and practice of constitutional law could be expected to know something of the legal issues involved.

However learned and distinguished a lawyer the Attorney-General may be, I am sure he will not claim to be infallible or to have a monopoly on legal wisdom.  Furthermore, as both the Prime Minister and he know very well, they are not the final arbiters of the meaning and application of the Constitution, that function being exclusively reserved to the Judges of the Courts.

 

Yours

A.M.O. Pulu

Loia Faataitai

Samoa Observer

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