Attorney General, Su’a Hellene Wallwork has appointed four (4) Assistant Attorneys General to lead the four Legal Divisions within the Office. These positions have been vacant for quite some time.

The Assistant Attorneys who have been appointed have served the Government and the Office of the Attorney General for a number of years. Their skills and knowledge in the laws of Samoa and the Pacific are assets to the Office.

The newly appointed Assistant Attorneys are:

Leilua Sosefina Faamausili

Assistant Attorney General – Commercial & International Laws Division

Leota Leitu Moananu-Morin

Assistant Attorney General – Legislative Drafting Division

Letoafaiga Lalau David J. Fong

Assistant Attorney General – Civil Litigation and Opinion Division

Lupematasila Iliganoa Atoa

Assistant Attorney General – Criminal Prosecution Division

Attorney General, Su’a Hellene Wallwork is delighted with the appointments and says they are all very well deserved.

“I have worked with all four of these lawyers since I was appointed as Attorney General on an interim basis in September 2021. From the outset I was impressed with their work ethic, their knowledge of the law and in depth understanding of the mechanics of Government processes.

They have all shown leadership skills and positive attitudes at a time when this Office is very short staffed and facing numerous challenges and requests for legal services to Government. I look forward to strengthening our management team to lead the Office”’, says Su’a.

The Attorney General’s Office now has a complete management team in place. The Corporate Services Manager, Pisila Pauli Tikeri, was appointed in July 2022 and has provided integral support to the Attorney General in managing the office and recruitment of new staff.

Retention and recruitment of lawyers for the Office remains a challenge and the Attorney General has requested the Public Service Commission and Cabinet to review the salary scales for lawyers within the Attorney General’s Office as well as the scholarship program to Office of the Attorney General allow for more law scholarships to meet the Government’s demands. At the moment, there is only 1 scholarship for law per year.

There are currently 21 vacant legal positions within the Office of the Attorney General. Though every effort is being made to recruit new lawyers, the number of vacancies is expected to increase through natural attrition.

Su’a says that she looks forward to working with her management team to set the workplan for 2023 and to prioritise the work that can be done within the Office.