Office of the Attorney General

Talofa & Welcome

Talofa & Welcome

Our Mission:

To serve the people of Samoa by upholding the Constitution and providing the highest quality of legal services to Government.

Our Vision:

To ensure a safe and just society through the provision of quality and effective legal services.

Office of the attorney General

About us

  • The Office of the Attorney General of Samoa is governed by the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa 1961 and the Attorney General’s Office Act 2013.

    The core functions of the Office are:

    1. To manage and to assist in carrying out the Constitutional, statutory and common law functions of the Attorney General.

    2. To manage the legal services to the Head of State, Prime Minister, Cabinet, Ministers, and Government.

    The Office has four legal Divisions supported by the Corporate Service Division. They are responsible for providing legal opinions to the Government, representing the interests of Government in all civil proceedings, drafting and reviewing government legislations, as well as reviewing and providing advice on all legal agreements and procurement contracts for the Government of Samoa. The Attorney General also has sole discretion to institute, conduct or discontinue criminal prosecutions.

    In addition to its core legal functions, the office is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. We work closely with other government agencies and stakeholders to ensure actions of the executive Government are conducted lawfully.

    With a team of experienced legal professionals, the office plays a critical role in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld and that the best legal services are provided to the executive Government.

Legal Services

LEGAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Principal Legal adviser to the Head of State, Cabinet and Prime Minister

  • Responsible for all Civil proceedings involving Government

  • Common law protector of charitable trusts

  • Responsible for all Criminal proceedings

  • Protector of the Judiciary

  • Drafting Legislation

Our Divisions

The Office of the Attorney General is organized into five (5) divisions, including four legal divisions and one support division. The legal divisions are responsible for providing legal services and advice to the government in various areas, including Legislative drafting, Civil litigation and Opinions, Commercial and International law, Criminal prosecutions. The Corporates services is the support division, responsible for providing administrative and technical support to the legal divisions and ensuring the smooth operation of the office.

Legislative Drafting Division

Responsible for drafting and reviewing legislation and providing legal advice to government departments on legislative matters

Commercial and International Law Division

Responsible for negotiating, reviewing, drafting, and clearing all government contracts, deeds, and other related legal documents, both domestic and international, to ensure that the Government’s interests are advanced and/or protected

Civil Litigation and Opinions

Responsible for representing the government in civil litigation matters and providing legal advice to government departments on a wide range of legal issues

Criminal Prosecution Division

Responsible for supervising and conducting prosecutions and appeals for all criminal matters in a fair and just manner.

Corporate Services Division

Responsible for providing administrative and technical support to the legal divisions, including managing the office’s finances, human resources, information technology, and communications