Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake

Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake
President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa
In office
1 February 2005 – 22 April 2016
Nominated byTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Succeeded byFepulea'i Attila Ropati
Minister of Lands and Environment
In office
1996 – 31 January 2005
Prime MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Tofilau Eti Alesana
Succeeded byFaumuina Tiatia Liuga
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour
In office
1996 – 20 March 2001
Succeeded byHans Joachim Keil III
Minister of Trade and Tourism
In office
1996 – 20 March 2001
Succeeded byHans Joachim Keil III
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Anoamaa West
In office
26 April 1996 – 31 January 2005
Preceded byLeota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale
Succeeded byFonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Personal details
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake (born 1954)[1] is a Samoan judge, politician and former Cabinet Minister. From 2004 — 2016 he was President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Early life

Kerslake is from the village of Saoluafata.[2] He worked as a lawyer in New Zealand and Samoa,[3] and then as a civil servant, serving as Secretary for Justice from 1989 — 1996.[2]

Cabinet minister

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 1996 election and was appointed Minister of Tourism and the Environment. He was re-elected in 2001 and retained his Environment portfolio while surrendering Trade and Tourism and Commerce, Industry and Labour to Hans Joachim Keil III.[4][5] As Environment Minister he led the Alliance of Small Island States at the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.[6][7] He also opposed the creation of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary.[8]

In 1998 as the health of Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana deteriorated he was one of the candidates to succeed him.[9] In 2003 he was Samoa's candidate for Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum,[10] but lost to Greg Urwin.[11]

Lands and Titles Court

In 2005 he resigned as an MP in order to become President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa, triggering the 2005 Anoama'a West By-election.[3] His judicial appointment was controversial, with opposition leader Le Mamea Ropati questioning Kerslake's qualifications[12] and claiming that it threatened to politicise the judiciary.[13] The government defended the appointment, saying that it had been recommended by the Judicial Services Commission.[14]

While President of the Court, he oversaw the case of the disputed succession to the Malietoa title.[15][16]

He resigned as President of the Land and Titles Court "for family reasons" in April 2016.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Top judiciary official in Samoa resigns". RNZ. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Lanuola Tusani Tupufia (13 April 2016). "President of Land and Titles Court resigns". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Samoa voters being registered for two by-elections". RNZ. 7 January 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Misa becomes new Minister of Finance". Samoa Observer. 20 March 2001. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ^ "SAMOA'S TUILAEPA SAYS HE'S SAD TO SEE TUIATUA STEP DOWN". Pacific Islands Report. 26 March 2001. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. ^ "STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE TUALA SALE TAGALOA MINISTER OF LANDS, SURVEYS AND ENVIRONMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES (AOSIS)". Pacific Islands Report. 18 December 1997. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  7. ^ "SAMOA'S TUALA SATISFIED WITH KYOTO CLIMATE CHANGE RESULTS". Pacific Islands Report. 17 December 1997. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  8. ^ "SAMOA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER NOT IN SUPPORT OF WHALE SANCTUARY NOW". Pacific Islands Report. 3 May 2001. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  9. ^ "QUIET SURROUNDS STATE OF AILING SAMOAN PRIME MINISTER". Pacific Islands Report. 3 November 1998. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  10. ^ "FOUR IN RUNNING TO HEAD PACIFIC FORUM". Pacific Islands Report. 19 June 2003. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  11. ^ "SAMOA ENVIRONMENTALIST WORRIED BY NEW FORUM CHIEF". Pacific Islands Report. 26 August 2003. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Opposition in Samoa voices surprise at legal appointment". RNZ. 14 January 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Samoa opposition leader says separation of judicary and state is threatened". RNZ. 12 January 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Samoa deputy PM says cabinet didn't interfere in legal appointment". RNZ. 14 January 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Samoa court issues interim injunction in Malietoa title dispute". RNZ. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Samoa court rejects latest motion over disputed Malietoa appointment". Radio New Zealand. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2021.