A backlog of more than 200 cases at the Land and Titles Court (L.T.C.) has been cleared with petitions lodged in the last year scheduled for hearing. 

The backlog was created by defective laws that governed the operation of the L.T.C. with amendments to the necessary legislation fast-tracked by the Government in December last year to address the disruption. 

The Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration, Papalii John Taimalelagi Afele credited the leadership of the court for the achievement. 

“If you look at court cases in Savai'i, appeals from 2022 and 2023 are currently heard, compared to previous times where we had appeals that date back to 10 years,” said Papalii. 

“This is a big achievement from Lesatele [L.T.C. President]…our cases [in Upolu] date back to 2021 which means our cases are moving along fast.

“We no longer have a backlog, it's cleared and are hearing cases in 2021 and 2022 while matters lodged in 2023 are in the process of filing submissions.” 

The L.T.C. President Lesatele Rapi Vaai took over the position in November last year and has had his appointment extended for another 12 months. 

Proceedings in the L.T.C. were put on hold for a year in 2022, due to discrepancies in the Land Titles Act 2020 which impacted the transition of judges in the court under the new amendments. 

In December last year, the Minister for Justice and Courts Administration, Matamua Vasati Pulufana tabled the Land and Titles Amendment Bill 2022 under the certificate of urgency to allow the operation of the court to move ahead. 

Speaking in Parliament at the time, Matamua advised that 204 new cases lodged with the court could not be dealt with due to the legislation undergoing drafting. 

The amendment addressed issues relating to the appointment of L.T.C. Judges and the savings transition of the Deputy President and Samoan Judges appointed under the repealed Land and Titles Act 1981 to the new L.T.C. structure under the principal Act. 

The bill that has been enacted also ensures consistency in English and Samoan versions of the principal Act.