Levi village seeks judicial review and stay court decision on disputed lands

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 22 May 2025 – The Alii ma Faipule of Levi, Sale’imoa has filed an injunction to stay the execution of the Land and Titles court decision last week to remove 47 families from land in a long-standing dispute with Afega village.

At a press conference at Levi, the village spokesperson Umu Pati confirmed that they are seeking a judicial review of the whole case.

The spokesperson told the media that the review will include revisiting disputed boundaries, past decisions in the Lands and Titles Court, the surveying of the land and the impact on their human rights.

Last weeks decision by the Deputy President, Afamasaga Michael Soonalole upheld earlier court decisions of 1963 and 2024 on the disputed lands and for the families to vacate the land after 3 months of the decision.

Umu said their application is submitted under urgency and they hope for the court to address the matter sooner.

Complaint against the LTC Deputy President
The Alii ma Faipule are also preparing a complaint to the Samoa Law Society and the Land and Titles Court Commission based on what Umu explained as “the unfair treatment of them and their matter by the Deputy President Afamasaga Michael Soonalole.”

According to the village spokesperson, the Alii ma Faipule of Levi “were treated with contempt and disrespect and the manner in which the Deputy President told us to hurry up as he has not got much time.”

Umu said Afamasaga allegedly did not give them a fair chance to hear their side or listen to the new evidence they presented in the recent hearing.

He said they noted how Afamasaga treated and responded differently to the Alii ma Faipule of Afega and to them.

Umu also explained that the given reason by the court is that Levi did not appeal the court decision in 1963.

He said the Court (last week) did not give them the chance to present evidence that supports their argument that the reason why Levi did not appeal the 1963 decision was because they were told that Levi lands would not be affected.

“O le popolega o lo matou nu’u, ua le malu Levi ma lana mataupu i totonu o le maota o le Faamasinoga, e pulea e le Faamasino i le tauaveina o ona tiute,” said Umu.

He said they suspected that the decision last week would favour the Alii ma Faipule of Afega and they were right, hence them walking out of the court room.

The village now awaits an update from their lawyers on the interim injunction application to stay the execution of the LTC order for 47 families of their village to vacate the land.