Tuala Tagaloa Sale Kerslake

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 1996 election and was appointed Minister of Tourism and the Environment. He was re-elected in 2001 and retained his Environment portfolio while surrendering Trade and Tourism and Commerce, Industry and Labour to Hans Joachim Keil III.^[4][5] As Environment Minister he led the Alliance of Small Island States at the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.^[6][7] He also opposed the creation of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary.^[8]

In 1998 as the health of Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana deteriorated he was one of the candidates to succeed him.^[9] In 2003 he was Samoa's candidate for Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum,^[10] but lost to Greg Urwin.^[11]

In 2005 he resigned as an MP in order to become President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa, triggering the 2005 Anoama'a West By-election.^[3] His judicial appointment was controversial, with opposition leader Le Mamea Ropati questioning Kerslake's qualifications^[12] and claiming that it threatened to politicise the judiciary.^[13] The government defended the appointment, saying that it had been recommended by the Judicial Services Commission.^[14]

While President of the Court, he oversaw the case of the disputed succession to the Malietoa title.^[15][16]

He resigned as President of the Land and Titles Court "for family reasons" in April 2016.^[2][1]