Wellington, NEW ZEALAND — Samoa's former attorney general Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff is to become New Zealand's Public Defender.

In this role, he will oversee the legal management of the ten public defender offices around the country and the about one hundred and sixty lawyers who work as counsel for members of the community facing criminal charges.

The director of operations and performance Elaine Hines described Lemalu as someone with excellent legal competencies who is a strategic and reflective thinker.

After completing his service in Samoa, Lemalu worked in the Crown Solicitor's Office at Kayes Fletcher Walker, before becoming the Public Defender of Waitakere in February 2021, a position he has held since.