Her Honour Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papalii Sworn-in as Acting Judge of Supreme Court

Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papalii's dedication to family, education, and law has culminated in her appointment as an acting judge of the Supreme Court in Samoa. Her academic journey at the University of Waikato in New Zealand was marked by significant personal commitment, as she pursued four qualifications, including a Master of Laws, while raising her four sons.

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We didn’t get to choose the university, we qualified and were assigned to a university and degree; 11 of us came to Waikato.

Initially finding the transition from Samoa to New Zealand daunting, Papalii found a sense of home and belonging at Waikato, forging lifelong friendships. She began her legal career working part-time as a relief teacher after completing a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Diploma of Teaching. However, her passion for law led her back to Waikato in 2001 to pursue a Bachelor of Laws, and later a Master of Laws, completing her studies while managing family responsibilities.

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I had never been anywhere outside of Samoa but Waikato became home away from home and I flourished there. It is a place I hold dear to me and close to my heart. I made lifetime friends who became my family.

Returning to Samoa in 2004, Papalii was admitted to the Samoa Supreme Court and established her own private law firm in 2009 after working as an associate at Toailoa Law Firm. She also dedicated over a decade to serving on the Samoa Law Society Executive Council. Her judicial career began in March 2017 when she was appointed a District Court Judge.

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The volume of work was challenging, and there are no shortcuts when studying law. I had to find a balance between raising my boys and my studies.

During her tenure as a District Court Judge, Papalii presided over a high volume of civil, criminal, and traffic cases. She also managed the Alcohol and Drugs Therapeutic Court and the Coroners Court, alongside presiding in the Family Court, Family Violence Court, and Youth Court. She described the therapeutic courts as a highlight of her work, emphasizing her commitment to upholding the rule of law and discharging her duties fairly and justly, with divine guidance.

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Being a judge has its ups and downs but with the Lord by my side, anything is possible. Passing judgement is not always easy but if I can sleep at night knowing that I have passed a fair and just judgement, then I am doing my job. I like to believe that I have done my job of upholding the rule of law and discharging my judicial duties to my people.