Abstract
The Independent State of Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962. Before that, it had been a German colony between 1900 and 1919, a League of Nations mandate of New Zealand from 1919 to 1945 and an UN trusteeship of New Zealand between 1945 and 1962. Samoa consists of two main islands, Savaii and Upolu, and several smaller islands (some of them uninhabited). It is a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature. Parliament is elected through universal suffrage every 5 years. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet manage the state’s day-to-day affairs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Cf BBC country profile Samoa (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15655855) and CIA World Factbook (Samoa).
- 2.
UN estimate 2008, respectively CIA World Factbook July 2011 estimate.
- 3.
Ombudsman Act (New Zealand).
- 4.
There is no statutory definition of an Officer of Parliament. In Commonwealth jurisdictions the term is used inter alia to refer to certain types of independent officers who have the statutory obligation to report directly to Parliament.
- 5.
According to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Approved Estimates of Receipts and Payments of the Government of Samoa for the Financial Year ending 30 June 2011, cf www.mof.gov.ws/Portals/195/SAMOA%20BUDGET/2010-2011/approved_estimates_fy2010-2011_english_version.pdf.
- 6.
Cf Sect. 1.1.3, p. 6 for details.
- 7.
The office is currently reviewing this provision.
- 8.
Exceptions, which are to be certified by the Attorney-General, apply if the provision of information could “prejudice the security, defence, or international relations of Samoa” or might involve the disclosure of deliberations or of proceedings of Cabinet (s17 OA).
- 9.
Likewise, exceptions, which are to be certified by the Attorney-General, apply if the provision of information could “prejudice the security, defence, or international relations of Samoa” (s23(3) OA).
- 10.
Cf Sect. 3.2.6.2, p. 55 for more details.
Further Reading
Overview of Legislation: www.theioi.com/downloads-ioi/2289h/Komesina%20O%20Sulufaiga%20%28Ombudsman%29%20Act%201988.doc
Annual Reports: Currently not available online
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Frahm, M. (2013). Samoa: Ombudsman. In: Australasia and Pacific Ombudsman Institutions. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33896-0_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33896-0_19
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33895-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33896-0
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawLaw and Criminology (R0)