Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake | |
---|---|
President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa | |
In office 1 February 2005 – 22 April 2016 | |
Nominated by | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi |
Succeeded by | Fepulea'i Attila Ropati |
Minister of Lands and Environment | |
In office 1996 – 31 January 2005 | |
Prime Minister |
Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi Tofilau Eti Alesana |
Succeeded by | Faumuina Tiatia Liuga |
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour | |
In office 1996 – 20 March 2001 | |
Succeeded by | Hans Joachim Keil III |
Minister of Trade and Tourism | |
In office 1996 – 20 March 2001 | |
Succeeded by | Hans Joachim Keil III |
Member of the
Samoa Parliament for Anoamaa West | |
In office 26 April 1996 – 31 January 2005 | |
Preceded by | Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale |
Succeeded by | Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo |
Personal details | |
Political party | Human 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.
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]
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]
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]
Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake | |
---|---|
President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa | |
In office 1 February 2005 – 22 April 2016 | |
Nominated by | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi |
Succeeded by | Fepulea'i Attila Ropati |
Minister of Lands and Environment | |
In office 1996 – 31 January 2005 | |
Prime Minister |
Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi Tofilau Eti Alesana |
Succeeded by | Faumuina Tiatia Liuga |
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour | |
In office 1996 – 20 March 2001 | |
Succeeded by | Hans Joachim Keil III |
Minister of Trade and Tourism | |
In office 1996 – 20 March 2001 | |
Succeeded by | Hans Joachim Keil III |
Member of the
Samoa Parliament for Anoamaa West | |
In office 26 April 1996 – 31 January 2005 | |
Preceded by | Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale |
Succeeded by | Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo |
Personal details | |
Political party | Human 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.
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]
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]
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]