By Staff Writer
The Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa sounded the cavalry bugle on the rescue of her Cabinet Minister of Justice, facing some unhappy public reactions to the Lands and Titles Court proceedings at a standstill.
PM Fiame rejected any intrusion by Justice Minister Matamua Vasati Pulufana into the independence of the Land and Titles Court.
As far as the Govt. leader is concerned her Justice Minister is in her rights under the Rule Of Law for court proceedings to be suspended.
One of the arguments for the suspension is that the appointment of judges based on the 2018 Act was revoked under the new Land and Titles Act 2020.
This plus the appointment of a new Vice President and other judges of the Land and Titles Court are behind a motion coming up for hearing by the Land and Titles Court President Fepulea’i Atilla M Ropati to the Supreme Court.
The cavalry support by the PM is an added twist to a running exchange of letters between the LTC President and the Justice Minister that has fueled the controversy over the encroachment by the Executive Arm of Government into the jurisdiction of the Land and Titles Court.
Newsline Samoa has an expanded coverage of the story in this coming Sunday’