The first-ever female to lead Samoa's National Human Rights Institution, Luamanuvao Katalaina Sapolu has resigned from her position. 

The Acting Ombudsman confirmed in an exclusive interview with this newspaper on Monday that Luamanuvao Katalaina Sapolu's last day in office was the 30 of May, last week. 

In confirming the resignation, Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli cited "personal reasons" behind Luamanuvao's resignation from office, two years after she was sworn-in to the position. 

"Luamanuvao has resigned from her position for personal reasons," said Maualaivao. 

"She might be going back to London to see her family."

Luamanuvao was sworn-in in April of 2021, making her the first female to lead the Office of the Ombudsman since its inception. 

She took up the role from former Ombudsman Maiava Iulai Toma; one of the longest-serving public servants in Samoa and had been in the position for 27 years. 

The 64-year-old is a lawyer by profession with a master’s degree in public international law from the Queen Mary University of London and bachelor's degrees in law and arts from Auckland and Newcastle universities.

Luamanuvao was also the barrister and law director of PL Strategy Consulting Limited.

She started her career in Samoa as a staff solicitor for Sapolu and Co. Barristers and Solicitors from 1988 to 1992, and went on to become the principal solicitor from 1992 to 2002 for the same law firm. 

She was appointed Notary Public in Samoa in 1988, the same year she was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Samoa. 

Clocking over 15 years with the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, she began working as an adviser and head of the legal and constitutional affairs division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2002. 

And for almost two years, she was the chief legal counsel for the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) in Brussels from 2012. Luamanuvao then returned to the Commonwealth Secretariat to take on the role of director of the rule of law division of the Commonwealth Secretariat from 2013 – 2017, before she was appointed senior director for governance and peace directorate from 2017–2019, prior to returning home.