ABSTRACT
The hierarchy of the courts in Samoa follows the standard model of inferior court, superior court, and appeal court. Village fonos (councils) have also been incorporated into the formal structure, to deal with village affairs. Appeals do not lead back into the standard structure, but to the Land and Titles Court, which is a separate court, established to deal with customary land disputes and chiefly title.143 The Land and Titles Court is not discussed here.
