Samoa Law Society seeks to have three controversial bills dumped

The Samoa Law Society is to make its submission to the Parliamentary Select Committee on three controversial bills which are before parliament, awaiting their third and final reading.

"The bills would remove people's ability to enforce their constitutional rights at the Lands and Titles Court and it is seeking to have them dumped from parliament," according to the Law Society.

It said the bills would split the court system into two jurisdictions with neither having primacy and judicial oversight.

Further, it said the bills would weaken judicial independence and undermine the separation of powers between the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government.

The Samoa Law Society has been engaged in an education campaign around the impact of the three bills.

The society will hold a media briefing today after making their submission to the Select Committee.