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Today marked a significant occasion for the Judiciary of Samoa with the swearing-in of Her Honour Alalatoa Papalii Rosella Viane Papalii as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Samoa.
The official ceremony was conducted this morning, Wednesday 10 June 2026, before His Highness the Head of State, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II, at the Head of State Residence at Vailele.
Her Honour’s appointment reflects her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the administration of justice and the rule of law in Samoa.
The Judiciary of Samoa and the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration extend their sincere congratulations to Her Honour Alalatoa Papalii Rosella Viane Papalii and wish her every success in the discharge of her judicial duties and responsibilities.
We republish below an inspiring interview with Her Honour Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papali’i, as a proud University of Waikato Alumna:
Family, education and the law are of the utmost importance to Her Honour Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papaliβi who has carved a path through four qualifications at the University of Waikato.
Waikato alumna Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papali’i
Her Honour, Alalatoa Rosella was awarded a Samoa Government scholarship sponsored by NZODA in 1993. βWe didnβt get to choose the university, we qualified and were assigned to a university and degree; 11 of us came to Waikato,β she says.
At first the transition from Samoa to New Zealand was daunting. βI had never been anywhere outside of Samoa but Waikato became home away from home and I flourished there. It is a place I hold dear to me and close to my heart. I made lifetime friends who became my family.β
After completing aΒ Bachelor of Social SciencesΒ (BSocSc) and aΒ Diploma of TeachingΒ (Secondary) and having her first son, Rosella worked part time as a relief teacher at Hillcrest High School. However, her passion was the law and that desire brought her back to Waikato in 2001 to begin aΒ Bachelor of LawsΒ (LLB). She had two more sons and by the time she completed herΒ Masters of LawsΒ (LLM), she had a fourth on the way.
The children and her parents inspired her to complete her studies and secure a good job to raise her children in a stable family environment. She went to lectures, labs and the Library with her boys and a mattress in tow.
βThe volume of work was challenging, and there are no shortcuts when studying law. I had to find a balance between raising my boys and my studies.β
Judge Alalatoa graduated with a LLB and LLM and was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in May 2004.
Alalatoa returned to Samoa in 2004 and was admitted to the Samoa Supreme Court and settled into life with her family.
She worked as an associate at Toailoa Law Firm before establishing her own private law firm in 2009. During this time, she served on the Samoa Law Society Executive Council for more than 10 years.
In March 2017, Alalatoa was appointed as a District Court Judge by the Samoa Judicial Services Commission on recommendation from Chief Justice Sapolu.
Judge Alalatoa says, βBeing a judge has its ups and downs but with the Lord by my side, anything is possible. Passing judgement is not always easy but if I can sleep at night knowing that I have passed a fair and just judgement, then I am doing my job. I like to believe that I have done my job of upholding the rule of law and discharging my judicial duties to my people.β
The District Court has the highest volume of recorded cases in Samoa; Rosella has been a judge there for more than five years and presides on civil, criminal and traffic cases and is in charge of the Alcohol and Drugs Therapeutic Court and the Coroners Court. She also presides in the Family Court, Family Violence Court and Youth Court.
βThe therapeutic courts are a highlight of my work as it focuses on therapy and rehabilitation of offenders so they become better people.β The model is based on the American model which was adopted in New Zealand and Samoa and has been contextualised to consider Samoaβs unique cultural perspective.
βWe recognise there is an important part that each person, family, community leader and church play in our community in rehabilitating our people. This process assists in reducing reoffending and keeping Samoa safe.β
Judge Alalatoa has a large and beautiful blended family. She and her husband, Alaiasa Schwartz Hunt, have ensured their 12 children appreciate the value of education.
Itβs a very studious household with five children already tertiary graduates. Rosellaβs family has a strong affiliation with Waikato University including her husband who is a former student, her eldest son Romero is an alumnus (LLM(Hons)) and two of her sons are current students.
She and her husband also have children studying in Auckland.
She speaks fondly of her time at Waikato University. βI have cherished memories from my time at Waikato. I would recommend the learning experience and close-knit community to anyone, which is evident in the fact that we have sent our children there.β
As a seasoned student, Her Honour has good advice for the next generation of students.
βThe Lord has a plan for each of us. Have patience and find your balance; read widely and donβt be shy to use all the help available online and on campus. Walk the path that you want to carve for your life, enjoy your experience and be kind to yourself.β
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