Manatu 'autu
- O tulafono eseese e faaveina i Ausetalia, e aofia ai tulafono e pasia i le palemene, tulafono e faia e le malo o loo se'e, ma tulafono e faia e le faamasinoga.
- O le faiga o tulafono i Ausetalia, e faavae i le va'ava'alua o malo faatasiga i le malo tele ma setete ma teritori.
- E iai avanoa e te filifili iai i le sa'iliga o se fesoasoani faaloia, poo le a lava le tulaga i lou tamao'aiga.
O tagata uma ma faalapotopotoga e auai i le faiva o tulafono i Ausetalia e galulue i tautuaina o faatonuga o le tulafono.
“The rule of law means that the law applies equally to all people, it is applied by impartial, independent courts and… is passed in a procedural way,”
("O le uiga o le faatonuga o le tulafono, o le tulafono e tutusa lana vaai i tagata uma, e faatinoina ma le le manatu faapito, faamasinoga tuto'atasi ma...e faia i faiga faavae aloa'ia") saunoa ai William Partlett, Associate Professor i le University of Melbourne Law School.
The Constitution is Australia’s fundamental legal document, that sets up the structures of our government, including parliamentary procedures for creating legislation, Dr Partlett explains. Credit: Kokkai Ng/Getty Images
“Australia, like the UK, Hong Kong, New Zealand, many of the former parts of the British Empire, has a common law system. This means that the chief source of law is statute which is a law passed by Parliament. The courts can create what's called ‘case law’ which can become what we know as the ‘common law’ and common law can always be overridden by statute,”
(" O Ausetalia, e pei o Peretania, Hong Kong, Aotearoa, ma le tele o atunu'u na i lalo o pulega kolone a Peretania, e iai tulafono e ta'ua o le common law. O lona uiga o le tele o tuafono e pasia mai le palemene poo statute. Ae mafai e le faamasinoga ona faia tulafono e ta'ua o 'case law' e avea ma 'common law' ae o tulafono ia e mafai lava ona toe soloia e le palemene i lalo o statute.") saunoa ai Dr Partlett.
“So, it's an interaction between an independent judiciary which applies the law and is able to create case law. But the fundamental source of norms is the parliament and the creation of statutes.”
("O se faiga va'ava'alua a le faamasinoga tuto'atasi e faauigaina le tulafono ma mafaia ona fai case law. Ae o le 'auga ma le puna'oa o le palemene e pasia tulafono statutes").
In Australia, when a court decision is made, this is binding on future lower courts in the application of that law, unless Parliament changes it Credit: RUNSTUDIO/Getty Images
Faata'ita'iga, e mafai e minisita ona faia tulafono e auala i faatonuga i lalo o lana pule mai se Act of Parliament.
Malo tele setete ma faamasinoga
I Ausetalia, o nisi tulafono e aofia atoa ai le atunuu, ae o nisi e 'ese'ese i le va o setete ma teritori.
“There are areas where the federal government is given exclusive authority to legislate under the Constitution, such as marriage and divorce, taxation, defence, issues involving foreign affairs, migration,”
("E iai mata'upu e na o le malo tele e iai le pule ma le aia e faia ai tulafono i lalo o le Faavae, e pei o faaipoipoga ma le tatalaina o faaipoipoga, lafoga, puipuiga, mata'upu i le va i fafo, femalaga'iga"), saunoa ai Chris Stone o le South Australia Legal Services Commission.
“That's why if you're dealing with things like obtaining a visa to visit or to live in Australia, those are Commonwealth laws that you would be dealing with, rather than state laws.”
("O le mafua'aga lena a mana'omia sou Visa e te asiasi mai ai pe aumau i Ausetalia, o tulafono na e i lalo o le malo tele, ae le i lalo o tulafono a setete.")
O faata'ita'iga masani o tulafono e 'ese'ese i le va o setete ma teritori, o tulafono tau taavale.
“In South Australia, there is the Road Traffic Act, but that only applies to South Australia. If somebody is in, say, Victoria, then they have to comply with the relevant laws about driving cars in Victoria. These are state laws,”
("I South Australia, e iai le tulafono le Road Traffic Act, ae na o SA e faamalosia ai. A faapea e te 'ave taavale i Vitoria, e tatau ona e usita'ia tulafono mo 'ave taavale i Vitoria. O tulafono a setete na"), saunoa ai Mr Stone.
Most criminal cases are dealt with by state and territory courts in Australia. Credit: Light Bulb Works/Getty Images
E pei ona faamatalaina e Dr Partlett:
“A separate section within the federal jurisdiction is the Family Court because family law in Australia is in the national jurisdiction.
“At the state level, we have a number of courts, the Magistrates courts, the County Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and so forth, which deal with the implementation of state laws. The High Court oversees both the federal courts and those at the state level.”
("E iai le vaega ua vavae mai i le faamasinoga le Faamasinoga o Aiga le Family Court, o loo i lalo o le faamasinoga faatasiga.
I setete, e iai faamsinoga maualalo Magistrates Courts, Faamasinoga Sili, Supreme Court, Faamasinoga Apili, le Court of Appeal, e tagofia mata'upu i lalo o tulafono a setete. Ae o le High Court e ao lana pule ma va'ava'aia faamasinoga uma nei").
A oo i mata'upu i moliaga faasoligatulafono, o le tele o mata'upu ia e tagofia i faamasinoga ma tulafono a setete ma teritori. O moliaga e tele ina amataina e e le setete i soligatulafono, e pei ona faamatalaina e Greg McIntyre SC, le peresitene o le Law Council of Australia.
“Usually, the police service will investigate crimes, they then refer them to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Director decides whether or not to prosecute a person.”
("E tele lava ina su'esu'eina e leoleo se soligatulafono, ona latou tu'uina lea o le mata'upu i le Faatonu le DPP, ona faia lea e le Faatonu o le faai'uga pe faaulu ma tuleia ni moliaga o se tagata").
E 'ese'ese lea ma mata'upu i le va o ni tagata ma/poo ni faalapotopotoga.
Disputes including breach of contract, motor vehicle accidents, worker’s compensation cases and property disputes are examples of civil law cases. Credit: Lighthousebay/Getty Images
(O mata'upu ia, civil matters, e le aofia ai le malo i le tuleia pe faaulu se tagi. O se tagata e fia faaulu sana tagi i le faamasinoga, e faia e sa'ili ai se taui mai seisi tagata ona o ni mata'upu na fevaa'i ai).
Mauaina o fesoasoani faaloia
O fesoasoani faaloia e faatupeina e le malo, e tele ina faamuamua mata'upu i moliaga faasoligatulafono ae le o civil cases. O 'au'aunaga , e aofia ai le Legal Aid Commissioni setete ma teritori ma polokalame a le malo tele le Commonwealth legal financial assistance.
“Where people are at risk of imprisonment, they get a higher priority for being granted legal assistance, or in family law where people have limited resources. In civil claims where people are seeking compensation for something, it's generally difficult to get legal aid.”
("O tagata e tele le avanoa e faasalaina ai i le falepuipui e ave iai le faamuamua i fesoasoani faaloia, poo mata'upu i tulafono o aiga o loo 'uti'uti tupe maua a se tagata. I mata'upu civil claims, e tele ina matua faigata ona maua fesoasoani mai le legal aid").
A filifili sau loia e tula'i i lau mata'upu, e tatau ona siaki ona faailoga ma tomai.
“All legal practitioners are obliged to have a current practice certificate under the regulations which apply in each of the states and territories,”
("O loia uma e tatau ona iai ni o latou tusi pasi i lalo o tulafono ma aiaiga i setete ma teritori uma"), saunoa ai Mr McIntyre.
O tusi pasi ia e tuuina mai e faalapotopotoga ma pulega a malo setete ma teritori.
“You can check on their websites whether the individual that you're in communication has a practice certificate and doesn't have any disqualifications upon it. You can also find that information from the Bar Associations and the Law Societies in each state and territory.”
There are law firms who deal with cases on a no win - no fee basis, particularly in matters of personal injuries, motor vehicle accident cases and workers compensation cases, says Mr McIntyre. Credit: Jacobs Stock Photography/Getty Images
E iai fo'i nofoaga faaalaalafaga community legal centres i le tele o nu'u e aofia i fesoasoani mo tina ma tamaita'i i setete ma teritori i mata'upu i le sauaina i aiga.
Everyone has access to advice and information on their legal matter from the Legal Aid Commission in their place of residence, free of charge Credit: Thurtell/Getty Images
“But I would always encourage people to get some advice before dealing with the matter by themselves or going to court.”
Ae na saunoa Mr Stone, "e taua lava ona tapa se fautuaga mai se loia, ae maise i tagata e le masani i le faagaioiga o tulafono i Ausetalia."
Visit for a comprehensive list of legal assistance providers, including Legal Aid commissions and specialist domestic violence legal services.
