Samoa · Courts
Court structure of Samoa
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Court of Appeal of Samoa
- The final court; no appeal to the Privy Council. Often includes visiting judges from New Zealand.
- Superior first instance — Supreme Court of Samoa
- Unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction and constitutional cases.
- First instance — District Court
- Summary criminal jurisdiction and civil claims up to a statutory ceiling.
- Customary — Land and Titles Court
- Exclusive jurisdiction over matai titles and customary land; restructured with its own appellate division by the 2020 Acts.
- Village — Village fono
- Statutory authority under the Village Fono Act 1990 to impose customary punishments.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeApiaCourt of Appeal of SamoaFinal appeals from the Supreme Court in civil, criminal and constitutional matters.
- first-instanceApiaSupreme Court of SamoaUnlimited original jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, constitutional applications under Article 4, judicial review, and appeals from the District Court.
- specialisedMulinuʻu, ApiaLand and Titles CourtExclusive jurisdiction over customary land and matai (chiefly) titles, including the conferral, dispute and succession of titles.
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