Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi called out an unnamed Supreme Court judge for not having a written decision available for one of Samoa’s 15 election petitions recently heard in the Supreme Court.
Each election petition was heard by two Supreme Court Justices, and all petition decisions were handed down on Friday 27th November in a full sitting of the Supreme Court bench. All decisions, which by Law are final and cannot be appealed by parties, were delivered verbally, with written decisions to follow.
During his program with TV1 earlier this week, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi lashed out to say that “a Judge of the Supreme Court was being dishonest (le faamaoni) in delivering an election petition decision for a certain candidate that had been disqualified”.
The Prime Minister did not name the Supreme Court judge, or the candidate.
Tuilaepa said on national television, that, “There is only one judge that has not yet done his written decision for a candidate that has been disqualified, and the party of this particular candidate is still waiting for a written decision”.
“This is something the Court Special Commission should look into and take action towards this judge,” he said.
Tuilaepa went on and said that this has to stop if a judge is not being honest in performing their important roles.
“This particular Judge is not being honest and a written decision is expected,” Tuilaepa said.
According to the Prime Minister, a political party has put forth a grievance, unsatisfied with the decision handed down that disqualifies a candidate from running in the 2021 general elections.
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