The Lawyer Who Got Stuck Between Beauty Queens and Border Control
Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, a Samoan lawyer with a résumé as colorful as a pageant sash, just starred in a real-life legal drama involving alleged score-fixing, airport detention-lite, and a regional diplomatic spat.
The Lawyer Who Moonlights as a Beauty Queen Maker
Brunt isn’t your average lawyer.
A University of Waikato law grad and founder of Brunt Lawyers in Apia, he’s built a career on corporate mediation and a side hustle as North Korea’s Honorary Consul in Samoa.
But his latest gig as head judge of the 2025 Miss Pacific Islands Pageant turned into a Pacific-wide spectacle when he crowned Samoa’s Litara Ieremia-Allan (pictured)—and allegedly sparked a tiebreaker controversy that left Tonga fuming.
“Stop Order” at Honiara Airport:
Brunt, fresh off the pageant stage, tries to fly home from the Solomon Islands on February 10. Instead, authorities slap him with a travel ban under Section 89(1)(iv) of their Immigration Act 2012—a rarely used power to detain someone “in the public interest”.
No handcuffs, just an Airbnb stay while Samoa’s government demanded answers.
The controversy started when, on the pageant’s final crowning night, the uncle of Tongan pageant judge, Maata Moungaloa Tupou, posted allegations on social media claiming he had “just spoken to his niece” who had accused the Head Judge of “tearing up the results”.
Tongan judges accused him of rigging scores to favor Miss Samoa over Miss Tonga.Brunt fired back, saying: “I followed the rulebook. Now I’m being treated like a criminal.”
Scrutineer Pamela Naesol backed him, confirming the tiebreaker vote was by-the-book. But Solomon Islands police weren’t swayed—initially.
Legal Wrangling Goes Global
Samoa’s Prime Minister’s Office shot off a formal query to the Solomon Islands’ Attorney General, calling the stop order “legally questionable”.
By February 12, the order lifted after police found no immediate fraud evidence—but investigations linger.
Brunt, now free, vows defamation lawsuits against accusers: “My reputation’s been trashed”.For lawyers, the case is a masterclass in cross-border legal risk.
The Solomon Islands’ flex of immigration law against a foreign official raises eyebrows: was this politics masquerading as procedure?
isn’t it a bit odd for the Immigration Act to be used like this? wouldn’t normally expect a lawyer to be stopped under such a vague ‘public interest’ flag. anyone knows what’s the full story here?
This seems like a prime example of how legal systems can sometimes be wielded in ways that seem contrary to their intended purpose. Wonder how often ‘public interest’ is invoked in similar scenarios?
good point there. isn’t ‘public interest’ pretty subjective, though? what’s to stop it from being misused?
Absolutely, ‘public interest’ is incredibly subjective. It’s crucial there are strict checks and balances to prevent misuse, though it seems those can fail at times.
flying home after a pageant and being stopped by a travel ban? sounds like a movie plot. makes you wonder what the real story behind all this legal drama is.
While the legal intricacies are fascinating, aren’t we missing a crucial piece of the puzzle? What specifically caused the Solomon Islands to issue such a ban? Without this, aren’t we all just speculating?
Precisely, without the detailed reasons behind the ban, we can only guess at the motivations, which might be far removed from the legal justification provided.
Fascinating read, LawFuel Editors – the situation perfectly captures the intersection between law and the unexpected. It’s a reminder of how unpredictable life, let alone law, can be.