4 It is aware of the merits of a having an independent specialist body.  Indeed, one of the key outcomes of a recent project for the strengthening of justice systems in Samoa was for a law reform commission-type model to be established, as was done under the Samoan legislation of 2002.  However, considering especially the available resources, the authorities are taking time to arrive at a realistic assessment of the comparative advantages, and to be certain that for a small jurisdiction the commission-model is the right way to go.  Particular attention is being given to the rate of acceptance of law reform commission recommendations (the “strike rates”) in these other Pacific countries and the all important issue of implementation of recommendations.  Equally, consideration is being directed to the likely implications, for Samoa, of instituting a new system that, with all its independence, technical and professional methodology and expertise (almost certain to be drawn largely from abroad), may find difficulty in developing the necessary instinct and sensitivity to the conditions of a very traditional country and to the policy and legislative requirements of its Government.          The law reform institution envisaged for Samoa would be a modest stand-alone Commission consisting of a full time Commissioner, part-time Commissioners and a small team of researchers/lawyers.  The problem, however, is that the budget estimates for the new institution would amount to almost two-thirds of the total budget for the Office of the Attorney General.  For much less, a strengthened, perhaps a more specialised component within the Office of the Attorney General to concentrate on law reform work could be provided for.  This is something of a dilemma and the matter is apparently still under consideration.    While the Office of the Attorney General seems to manage the regular work flow, it nonetheless needs to supplement its efforts through assistance from outside, especially in connection with the large and technically complicated issues.  There is, in fact, a long tradition of assistance from New Zealand, and today also from Australia.   In the past fifty or so years faculty members of the Law School of Victoria University have been engaged as advisers and consultants by the Samoan Government on a range of law development and law revision activities.  Samoa has been honoured by the counsel and services of many distinguished faculty members, including, to name just a few, the chairman of this session, the Rt Hon Sir Ivor Richardson, who undertook the review and drafting of the fiscal and tax legislation, Dr George Barton, QC a survey of the legal system and resources and the late Professor Colin Aikman who devoted several years to Samoa in his pioneering work on the Constitution.    Increasingly, in more recent times, the smaller countries are resorting to and drawing assistance from the legislative development work of specialist regional agencies like the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) which is based in Apia, Samoa (for legislation on environmental issues); the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) based in Honiara, Solomon Islands (for fisheries related legislation); the Pacific Community (SPC) based in Noumea, New Caledonia (for legislation on health and social issues, and others); and the Forum Secretariat based in Suva, Fiji (for legislation on trade and economic issues, and others).  Following regional studies and consultations these agencies work to develop model legislation (usually with associated programmes for the