Samoa · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Samoa, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The Constitution
- Supreme law; expressly protects customary land from alienation.
- Acts of Parliament
- Unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono).
- Samoan custom and usage
- Applied by the Land and Titles Court and recognised by the Village Fono Act 1990.
- English common law and equity
- In force so far as not excluded by statute or inconsistent with custom.
The legislative process
Bills are read three times in the Legislative Assembly, usually with parliamentary committee scrutiny, and are then assented to by the O le Ao o le Malo. Ordinary bills need a simple majority. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority of all members at the third reading, and any amendment affecting customary land or matai titles is politically entrenched by the strength of the fa'a Samoa consensus even where the two-thirds threshold is met.
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