Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament Tuhafeni Kalola is questioning remarks made by United States (US) ambassador to Namibia John Giordano during a televised meeting with chief justice Peter Shivute.
Kalola said: “The ambassador publicly told the chief justice that if he or other judges had cases before them, they should pick up a phone and call him so that he could contact people he knows to help them deal with those cases.”
In a letter seen by The Namibian on Thursday, Kalola asked justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel whether the ministry has formally assessed the ambassador’s statements.
Kalola said the remarks appear to contravene Article 78(3) of the Namibian Constitution, which safeguards judicial independence and prohibits interference with judicial officers.
He further asked what the government’s official legal opinion is and whether the comments constitute an attempt to interfere with the Judiciary.
He questioned whether such an arrangement has ever been put into practice and, if so, requested details on the number of judges and specific cases involved.
