Samoa Supreme Court

The Samoa Observer reports Justice Niavā Mata Tuatagaloa saying the assault of a young girl was "offensive, gross, uncultured, and ill-mannered".

The incident occurred on March 1st, when the victim was on her way to school and had to sit on the defendant's lap, as the bus was full.

The judge said the defendant as a Samoan male should have shown respect to the victim, not only as a female but someone he is not related to and given up his seat for her, but instead, he indecently touched her.

Samoa's Supreme Court delivered the decision on Friday, in the trial of Malele Paulo and Lema'i Faioso Sione.

The Samoa Observer reports the defendants Paulo also known as King Faipopo, and Sione had maintained their innocence and pleaded not guilty to the joint charge of conspiracy to murder.

In all - four men were charged in 2019 of conspiring to murder Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Taualai Leiloa pleaded guilty and has been in prison since 2020.

Ms Woodroffe was suing a Samoa Court of Appeal judge, former New Zealand High Court judge Justice Robert Fisher, and Samoa's Attorney General for $US2.4m dollars.

The case relates to a family land dispute hearing in 2016 in which she brought an appeal against a Supreme Court decision.

Ms Woodroffe was suing Justice Fisher for his comments in the appeal case.

In her ruling, Supreme court Judge, Mata Keli Tuatagaloa, concluded the doctrine of judicial immunity applies to Justice Fisher.

Toplagi Ah Yen Lelua, who regularly visits family in Samoa, had admitted the charge for which she could have been fined up to US$150,000 dollars and jailed for six years.

Ms Lelua had shipped personal effects in a container but had evaded duty by failing to declare that two cars were included.