Lesatele Rapi Vaai

Lesatele Rapi Vaai is a Samoan judge and President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa. He served on the Supreme Court of Samoa until 2017, and again from 2020.

Lesatele Rapi Vaai
President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 November 2022
Preceded by	Fepulea'i Attila Ropati

Vaai is a former president of the Samoa law Society.^[1] He was appointed to the District Court of Samoa in 1996.^[2] He later served as President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa.^[3] He was later appointed to the Supreme Court of Samoa.

He retired from the Court in February 2017 to take up a judicial position in Nauru.^[4] Following his retirement he was appointed to chair a Commission of Inquiry into the actions of three police officers accused of misconduct and evidence tampering.^[5] In November 2020 he was reappointed to the Supreme Court as a temporary judge for a term of one year to help deal with election-related cases.^[6][7]

Justice Vaai has also presided over an application on April 14 2022 by Talalei Pauga to set aside a warrant of arrest issued by former Supreme Court of Samoa Deputy Registrar Fataasi, for conspiracy to murder the former Prime Minister of Samoa which affidavit material sworn by Fataasi evidenced to be on the instructions of Justice Clark.^[8] Justice Vaai's decision is yet to be published more than one year later.

On 29 October 2022 the Samoan cabinet told Land and Titles Court of Samoa President Fepulea'i Attila Ropati to vacate office by 1 November.^[9][10] On 30 October the Samoa Observer reported that Vaai would be sworn in to replace him.^[11] He was sworn in as President of the court on 2 November 2022.^[12]

References

1. "Saga of the sacked Auditor-General". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 65, no. 11. 1 November 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 20 July 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Ministry of Justice bid farewell to Justice Lesatele Rapi Vaai" (PDF). Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2017.
3. "RELIGION IN SAMOA IS FREE, COURT RULES IN OVERTURNING BANISHMENT". Pacific Islands Report. 26 August 2002. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
4. Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (5 November 2020). "Justice Vaai returns to local bench". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
5. "A retired Samoa judge is to lead police inquiry". RNZ. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
6. Maina Vai (6 November 2020). "Supreme Court of Samoa Recalls Lesatele Rapi Vaai". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
7. "Retired judge to preside over Samoa election eligibility cases". RNZ. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
8. "Murder defendant challenges arrest warrant".
9. Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (29 October 2022). "L.T.C. President asked to vacate office by 1 November". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
10. Lagi Keresoma (29 October 2022). "Government terminates Lands & Titles Court President's Term". Talamua. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
11. Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (30 October 2022). "S.C. Justice to return as the L.T.C. President". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
12. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (2 November 2022). "Lesatele sworn-in as L.T.C. President; scrutinises new laws". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2 November 2022.