From Policy to Practice: Samoa Advances People-Centred Legal Aid Through South–South Peer Learning

July 1, 2026

Group of students and teachers posing in front of a red-brick campus building.

A strong legal aid system is not measured only by the services it provides, but by whether people can effectively rely on those services. For legal aid to be people-centred, it needs to respond to the legal needs that people face in their daily lives. Yet, turning this vision into reality can be challenging, especially when those in need of support face practical, social or economic barriers to accessing legal aid.

In 2025, Samoa set out to pursue its vision of people-centred legal aid by joining the Justice Action Coalition Catalytic Fund. It completed a comprehensive review of its existing legal aid scheme, including how the system responds to gender-based violence. This process informed the development and endorsement of Samoa’s first National Legal Aid Policy. In 2026, the focus is shifting from policy development to practical implementation. At the heart of this effort lies the need to turn commitments into services that people can actually use.

To support the implementation of Samoa’s new legal aid policy, UNDP facilitated a South–South peer-learning exchange. Such learnings create space for countries to compare practical experiences and learn from solutions that have been tested in real contexts. To align with Samoa’s priorities, the exchange was organized with Nepal, which has extensive experience in delivering legal aid through state institutions, civil society partners and local justice actors. Learning from Nepal’s model, the goal was to identify practical lessons that Samoa can adapt to its own context.

During the peer learning session organized in Kathmandu, the delegation met with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and discussed Nepal’s legal aid system and institutional arrangements. This was complemented by engagements with the Supreme Court of Nepal, the Nepal Bar Association, civil society organizations working on legal aid, and other stakeholders. This broad engagement reflected the acknowledgement that effective legal aid requires an integrated approach and strong coordination across the justice system.

Mr. Fetuliai Junior Lagaaia, Lawyer and Member of the Samoa Law Society said, “Seeing how the Government in Nepal works with lawyers, the Bar Association, and local partners was very useful for us. It provides an opportunity to see how the Samoa Law Society can be a part of the access to justice efforts to connect policy with practice in support of a legal aid system that truly responds to what people need.”

From Kathmandu, the team moved to Surkhet, Karnali Province, where the delegation explored what access to justice looks like outside the capital. A particular highlight was the “Hello CM (Chief Minister)” - an innovative grievance-handling system, which shows how local mechanisms can help people raise concerns regarding service delivery and governance closer to where they live. The delegation also met with law students associated with the community legal education, local officials and civil society partners to understand how communities can raise problems early, before they become harder to resolve.

As Ms. Laulu Miriama Elisaia, MJCA, Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Coordinator of the Law and Justice Sector, explained, the prevention aspect was particularly insightful for the delegation: “What stood out during the field visit was how local mechanisms can help identify and resolve problems before they escalate. For Samoa, this is an important lesson, as legal aid should not only be available and respond when cases reach the courts but also help and empower people to access guidance and support at an earlier stage.”

As Samoa starts implementing its first National Legal Aid Policy, the value of this mission lies in adapting the lessons from Nepal to its own context and building on the momentum generated through the Justice Action Coalition Catalytic Fund. UNDP continues to accompany Samoa in this process, supporting practical implementation pathways and institutional coordination that can help turn the new National Legal Aid Policy into meaningful access to justice for communities.