SHARIAsource

Country Background

Samoa is a group of islands in Oceania. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, and consist of two main islands—Savai'i and Upolu—which are surrounded by several smaller islands. The capital of Samoa is Apia. The official languages are English and Samoan. The country's population in 2017 was approximately 200,108 people. Samoa is a predominantly Christian country, with about 99% of the population Christian.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Western Samoa gained its independence from New Zealand (as a United Nations trust territory) in 1962. It officially changed its name to Samoa in 1997. Samoa is referred to as a parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Samoa adopted its current Constitution in 1962, and it was most recently amended in 2013. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Samoa is a mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Samoa. 

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Samoa. 

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Samoa has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  • Parliament
• Executive
  
  • Government Portal
• Judicial
  
  • PacLII Databases: Samoa - includes court cases and legislation

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Samoa (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Samoa (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Samoa (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Samoa (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide. The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].