Samoa: constitutional governance and customary law

Article

Breda, Vito. 2019. "Samoa: constitutional governance and customary law." Revue juridique polyne´sienne. 23, pp. 163-180.
Article Title

Samoa: constitutional governance and customary law

ERA Journal ID36802
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorBreda, Vito
Journal TitleRevue juridique polyne´sienne
Journal Citation23, pp. 163-180
Number of Pages18
Year2019
Place of PublicationWellington, New Zealand
ISSN1772-1644
Web Address (URL)https://www.victoria.ac.nz/law/research/publications/about-nzacl/publications/special-issues/hors-serie-volume-xxiii,-2019
Abstract

This article discusses the Samoan constitutional system and its distinctive ‘mix’ of traditional and modern democracy. On the one hand, the Constitution endorses a series of universal values and the division of power. On the other hand, the chief of the family, called the Matai, is chosen by consensus and s/he still has a distinctive public role within the local council and the parliament. The cooperation and antagonism between modernity and tradition has, over the years, generated a dynamic balance which is perceived by some as hindering the administrative efficiency of the Independent State of Samoa. A process of the constitutional recognition of a national identity might increase the level of complexity of the system of governance but that should not be automatically associated with hindering effects. The article is divided into two main parts. The first part discusses two key aspects of the traditional system of governance called the fa’asamoa and the fa’amatai. The second part evaluates the critiques levelled against the constitutional recognition of traditional identities.

KeywordsSamoa, constitutional law, constitutional recognition, fa’amatai, social development, consociative democracy
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020380113. Public economics - public choice
480299. Environmental and resources law not elsewhere classified
451130. Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi)
489999. Other law and legal studies not elsewhere classified
480701. Administrative law
480702. Constitutional law
450107. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history
450599. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community not elsewhere classified
480302. Comparative law
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Byline AffiliationsSchool of Law and Justice
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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