| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
NOTE—The chief justice and associate justices who compose the High Court of American Samoa are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The judiciary also comprises district and village courts, the judges of which are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate of American Samoa. U.S. civil and criminal cases, augmented by such local laws and regulations as are enacted by the American Samoa legislature, constitute the body of law adjudicated in the courts.
NOTE—Unlike other U.S. territories, American Samoa does not have a U.S. district court.
¶ American Samoa Reports — 1st Series (1901–1974) • 2nd Series (1978–1996) • 3rd Series (1997–Present) [American Samoa Bar Ass’n] — Note that the current series (3rd) of reports is some years in arrears. The ASBA also provides a digest and selected “recent decisions” (called “unpublished” because they are not yet published in the 3rd series of reports).
NOTE—American Samoa, an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States, is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is “unincorporated” because not all provisions of the U.S. Constitution apply to the territory. American Samoa is an “unorganized” territory because Congress has not provided the territory with an organic act. Instead, Congress gave plenary authority over the territory to the Secretary of the Interior, who in turn allowed American Samoans to draft their own constitution under which their government functions.
¶ Title 48, Chapter 13, U.S. Code Provisions of the U.S. Code concerning American Samoa.
NOTE—The bicameral legislature of American Samoa, known as the Fono, comprises a senate and a house of representatives. The legislature convenes for 45-day sessions twice yearly.
¶ Laws and Historical Documents [Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, M.C. (American Samoa)] — A small collection made available by the American Samoa delegate to Congress.