Master of Commercial Law, The University of Melbourne
Susana is a humanitarian advocate and lawyer with over 15 years’ experience in the public, community, and private sectors in Tonga and Tuvalu; including as a prosecutor, law reform expert, and legal consultant. She is passionate about contributing to community development initiatives that empower people experiencing disadvantage, and is the founder of Tuvalu’s first child-focused NGO, Te Alofilima.
Susana began her legal career as an Assistant Crown Counsel at the Office of the Attorney-General in Tonga, where she worked in criminal, civil, and administrative law. She later relocated to Tuvalu to take on the role of Public Solicitor at the Office of the People's Lawyer before becoming Crown Counsel of the Attorney-General's Office of Tuvalu. During this time, she conducted law reform and legislative drafting work, contributing to the Tuvalu Constitutional Review, COVID-19 regulations, and Public Finance Law reviews. Susana also served as Acting Attorney-General and was listed as an expert under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
Susana established a private law and consultancy firm and has worked as a consultant in the private sector supporting projects for the Government of Tuvalu, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and other global experts. She is also the co-author of the Tuvalu Cross-Border Paperless Trade Readiness Assessment published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and a study on social media, human rights, and democracy in the Pacific published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the United Kingdom.
She holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce from The University of the South Pacific, among other qualifications.
