OPINION by Taulapapa Victor T Washburn.
E LEAI SE ISI E SILI ATU I LE TULAFONO: Poo le FAST, Loia Sili poo le Palemia Caretaker.
“This Court has an obligation to maintain the rule of law and protect the principles and rules of the Constitution. In jurisdictions with written constitution, the Court are the acknowledged guardians of the Constitution. “We take these obligations seriously and will do what needs to be done to satisfy them.”
O upu nei a le Faamasinoga Maualuga na fola mai i le itulau e 6 o la na faaiuga (written judgment) e tusa ma le 24 itulau le aotelega, faatatau lea i le faatautoga o le 24 of Me 2021, lea na luí ma challenge e le Loia Sili, ma lauina i le aso 28 o June 2021.
It is such an elegant verse. In of itself it is quite powerful and complete. Full of substance and implies authority. E aanoa ma o se fuaitau e le gata ina tāua ae o se fuaiupu na toina mai e Alii Faamasino, mai se tasi foi o faamasinoga lea na muaí malele i ai nisi foi o Afioga i Faamasino i le latou iuga i le lu’í a le FAST, e le faatulafonoa ma solitulafono le poloaiga a le Ao o le Malo, e toe fai se isi Palota, lea na lauina i le aso 17 May 2021.
A o lea ua toe faaaogaina e le faamasinoga, e peiseai e tatala aí le discussion o le mataupu lenei poo le latou faaiuga, i le faaletulafonoa o le faatautoga o le Aso 24 o May 2021. Ae e i ai le mafuaaga ua ala ai ona ou toina mai lea fuaitau, other than the powerful authoritative nature it emanates as noted above.
Oka.
E le gata ina undermine pe vaai maualalo i le itu faamaoni (integrity) o le Faamasinoga, ae ua faatoilaloina foi pe aafia ai le tutoatasi (independence) faapea ma le MAMALU o le Faamasinoga faatasi ma ana faaiuga.
“3. Purpose of the Act and Fundamental Obligations of Lawyers-
a) to uphold the rule of law and to facilitate the administration of Justice in Samoa; and
b) to protect, subject to the overriding duties as officers of the court and other duties in or made pursuant to this Act, the interests of their clients.”
Ona te’í a lā ua fola mai loa o le mataupu autu o le faamasinoga e uiga la i Relevant Constitutional Provisions o le Faavae, ae maise Sections o loo taua ai le Palemene etc etc.
Ae ua ala ona fai laú tala, It is amazing that right from the beginning only on the 6th page, the Court was just beginning its discussion on the issues and topics before them, in relation to the Faatautoga.
Peitai, o lea ua muamua lava faatulaí mai se mataupu ogaoga, poo se mataupu tau sensitive in nature, o loo atugalu ai pe i ai se popolega o le faamasinoga, e uiga la i tulaga pei ona faailoa atu.
It was almost as if the court saying,
E foliga mai o lea e lei oo atu le faamasinoga i tulaga aanoa, ma ogaoga o le iloiloina o le mataupu, ae peiseai ua finagalo, e faateá muamua lava lo latou atugaluga , ma lo latou concern , e ui lava e le o taúa saó , a ua silafia lava E o loo faatatau i ai.
I guess one can say without a shadow of a doubt, that the court has clearly put the stamp on its authority, independence , duty to uphold the rule of law and expects the community at large to follow suit, or comply.I le Aso Faraile 25 June 2021 na lau ai e le faamasinoga le latou faamalamalamaga (declaration) o le iuga o le case June 02 e uiga i le vaega 44(1a) ma le tamaitai faaopopopo….(Lea na ave ai i le HRPP le latou 6, e faafilemu ai Petesa)
Na toe faamanino mai foi le tulaga i le Tauaofiaga o le Palemene tusa ai ma le vaega s52 o le Faavae, e aunoa ma le faatali seia mae’a tagi ma petitions, poo le faatali seia atoa tamaitai faaopoopo tusa ai ma le vaega 44(1a) o le Faavae.Na manino lava le folasaga ma le judgment a faamasino:
A) The Court of Appeal’s decision DID NOT RULE on the interaction between articles 44(1a) and 52. Ma faapea mai ai… E lei faapea mai foi le faamasinoga a mea e faamoemoe le tauaofiaga o le Palemene, i le 44(1a). In other words, E Le faatali seia atoa tamaitai e 6 tusa ai ma le 44(1a) ona fatoa tauaofia loa lea o le Palemene. E Leai.B) For the avoidance of Doubt pe aua nei i ai se masalosaloga, afai na i ai nisi na talitonu pe na faasalalau, a mea na fai atu le Faamasinoga, e feagai ma o gatasi le 44(1a) ma le 52, pe faamoemoe le isi vaega i le isi, e matua sese ma LE faavaea lena talitonuga. Absolutely Wrong.
(Ae talofa e…Lele ua fao e Le Atua le isi tolu nofoa….totoe ai loa le 22 mo le HRPP)
I le aso na sosoo ai, le afiafi le Aso Toonai, na faasalalu ai se LIVE a le taitai a le HRPP, ma pese ai ma lana kitara, faatasi ma le Fofoga Fetalai ma le Failautusi o la na vaega atoa foi ma la na saunoaga faasalalau.. Na ia faapea ai.:”” A tatou pepese lava ua oo i le Kirisimasi, le umi o Petitions, ma faamasinoga, poo ni ‘Bi Elections, e faatali pea seia maeá ona Tauaofia ai lea o le Palemene. (Or words to that Effect)O le mea taua aliali mai i lea faafiafiaga faa LIVE i le na po…
E ui o lea ua manino ona faamalamalama mai e le Faamasinoga, e LE faatali le Tauaofiaga o le Palemene i ni faamasinoga (petitions) poo ni Bi Elections. Peitai o loo ma’a’a lava ma tetee, ma pei e tau faifai le Palemia caretaker, i declaration malamalama tuu saó mai a le faamasinoga.Ma o lea lava o loo pesepese pea le Alii Palemia Caretaker , i la na pese lava lea e tasi. Ma e lei suia lava le fati.
“E faatali lava seia maea uma faamasinoga, ma faaopoopo mai le latou tamaitai lo na 6, ona faatoa mafai loa lea ona fono le palemene.”Peitai, e i ai le tulaga mataútia lea ua amata ona aliali mai i nai aso e lua pe tolu ua mavae.
Ua foliga mai ua amata ona faa sea ma luíina le faamasinoga. Ona o loo teena le poloaiga a le faamasinoga, ia tauaofia le Palemene tusa ai ma le poloaiga a le Ao Le Malo ua uma ona sainia (Aso 20 May 2021).
E le gata ina fai pea a na faasalalauga e ‘Pule le Ao o le Malo, i le taimi e valaau ai le Palemene’, a lea foi ua folafola, o loo faila se application a le Loia Sili, ia faa seetuagalu pe Recuse le Faamasino Sili, ma isi Afioga i faamasino, mai proceedings poo le tagi o le Contempt of Court, faasaga ia te ia.
O le Fesili.O tausi ea poo faamamalu e le Palemia Caretaker , le Pulega o tulafono poo le RULE of LAW, lea na saunoa i ai le Faamasinoga i le amataga o lenei tusitusiga?
Or is the Caretaker Prime Minister , using tactics in order to prolong the delay of convening parliament, by hiding behind the Head Of State?A tatou toe to manatu i nisi o malelega tuu saó mai e le faamasinoga i le latou judgment tusitusia i le aso 28 o June 2021.
Aua a faitau lelei, e pei e vavalo faamasino ma faapea :
At 62-
“It seems reasonably clear that the executive arm of the government has deliberately and Unlawfully prolonged the calling of Parliament for plainly political reasons. In so doing it has ignored various rulings of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of the country leading to a constitutional breach which can only be repaired once Parliament meets.”
Manino lelei upu tuu saó a le faamasinoga. Ma o le ata lea ua tatou vaai atu ai nei, lea ua atagia mai le ofisa ole Palemia Faaauau, ma a na faatalatalanoaga.
“The Rule of Law must be able to provide Relief against such a breakdown at least until such time as the constitutional breach can be remedied. To do otherwise would mean the Courts are in the invidious position of having to “cross its arms and do nothing but witness the Complete paralysis of the judicial power which is one of the 3-pillars of the State”, and thereby the collapse of the Rule of Law…””Oka…O le matua Loloto lava ma aanoa o nei upu, ma e masalo o se Essay atoa, e alu i le auiliiliina o le loloto ma le maáleále o lenei malelega matagofie.Ae e faaiú atu lenei tusitusiga, i se manatu faatupu manatu.Lea ua manino mata o le vai, tusa ai ma le Order poo le poloaiga a le faamasinoga.
Ia usuia loa le palemene ae leí uma aso e Fitu. Ia tautuana foi i le Loia Sili, ia au ai uma Actors ma faatino o latou matafaioi, tusa ai ma le Faavae.Peitai. Lea foi ua manino , tusa ai ma faatalanoaga a le Palemia Caretaker , e Leai se Fono e usuia, ma o le a apili foi lenei faaiuga.E i ai upu a le Palemia Caretaker na tuu saó mai i le 2 Ap, ma salalau i le pepa.
Faapea lo na faitauina i a na faapalagi ni si o taimi, matua le fetaui lava o nisi o Grammar , But o loo atagia ai… E matua LEAI lava ma so na faaaloalo i le itupa poo le Lala o Faamasinoga.:”The three branches of the independent state of Samoa, namely, the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive, must respect one another,” he said.
“And no one branch should extend its power over another, “Hitler style”, especially when it comes to Parliament, the Supreme lawmaking authority of the State, for the simple reason, its members are elected representatives of the people of Samoa.”
Fai mai a na upu mulimuli, O le PALEMENE O le Supreme Lawmaking Authority o le Atunuu. Fono Fai tulafono. O lea la e saólele. We All Agree.
Lo na uiga la, ua na o le Faamasinoga poo le JUDICIARY o le Tafa tolu o faiga malo (3 pillars of Government) lea o loo Tumau, Malosi ma Faamoemoe i ai le Atunuu i lenei Taimi.Afai la e Le o i ai se FAigamalo, poo se Palemene, ua faatautoina…
