First-time acting judges join High Court bench

THE ranks of Namibia’s High Court judiciary received a temporary infusion of new blood with the appointment last week of two first-time acting judges.

A member of the Society of Advocates of Namibia, Reinhard Toetemeyer, and a senior Justice Ministry official, Dr Collins Parker, have been appointed as acting judges with effect from the start of March, it was announced from the chambers of the Chief Justice, who chairs the Judicial Service Commission. Neither Toetemeyer nor Parker has ever served on the bench of the High Court in Namibia.The President has appointed both of them as acting judges on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission from the start of March until 16 April, the Chief Justice’s office announced.Toetemeyer (41), who is a son of a former Director of Elections and Deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, Gerhard Toetemeyer, is a past President of the Society of Advocates of Namibia.The appointment of Parker marks a couple of firsts for Namibia’s High Court.Parker (57) is the first born Ghanaian to be appointed in Namibia’s judiciary, and is also the first Justice Ministry official to have been given judicial tenure in the High Court.Parker is the Chief: Legal Services and International Co-operation in the Ministry of Justice.He has been attached to the Ministry for the past decade.Before that, he served as a judge in the Industrial Court division of the High Court of Swaziland for about two years, Parker told The Namibian yesterday.Prior to that, he practised law in Zambia for about six years.Parker studied law in Zambia, at Dalhousie University in Canada, and at Pacific University in Los Angeles, where he obtained his doctorate degree.Toetemeyer has been practising law as an advocate in Windhoek since 1992.He was admitted as an attorney in the then Supreme Court of South West Africa in October 1989.He completed his legal studies at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, where he obtained a B.Comm.degree in law and an LL.B.degree.Toetemeyer headed the Society of Advocates of Namibia for three years as President of the Bar Council until late last year.In addition to his and Parker’s appointment, the Chief Justice’s office also announced that Acting Judge John Manyarara has been reappointed to the High Court bench for another year, from the beginning of April to the end of March 2007.Acting Judge Manyarara, who is a former Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe and former Judge of Appeal of the Zimbabwe Supreme Court, has served as an acting judge of Namibia’s High Court since mid-2000.Neither Toetemeyer nor Parker has ever served on the bench of the High Court in Namibia.The President has appointed both of them as acting judges on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission from the start of March until 16 April, the Chief Justice’s office announced.Toetemeyer (41), who is a son of a former Director of Elections and Deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, Gerhard Toetemeyer, is a past President of the Society of Advocates of Namibia.The appointment of Parker marks a couple of firsts for Namibia’s High Court.Parker (57) is the first born Ghanaian to be appointed in Namibia’s judiciary, and is also the first Justice Ministry official to have been given judicial tenure in the High Court.Parker is the Chief: Legal Services and International Co-operation in the Ministry of Justice.He has been attached to the Ministry for the past decade.Before that, he served as a judge in the Industrial Court division of the High Court of Swaziland for about two years, Parker told The Namibian yesterday.Prior to that, he practised law in Zambia for about six years.Parker studied law in Zambia, at Dalhousie University in Canada, and at Pacific University in Los Angeles, where he obtained his doctorate degree.Toetemeyer has been practising law as an advocate in Windhoek since 1992.He was admitted as an attorney in the then Supreme Court of South West Africa in October 1989.He completed his legal studies at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, where he obtained a B.Comm.degree in law and an LL.B.degree.Toetemeyer headed the Society of Advocates of Namibia for three years as President of the Bar Council until late last year.In addition to his and Parker’s appointment, the Chief Justice’s office also announced that Acting Judge John Manyarara has been reappointed to the High Court bench for another year, from the beginning of April to the end of March 2007.Acting Judge Manyarara, who is a former Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe and former Judge of Appeal of the Zimbabwe Supreme Court, has served as an acting judge of Namibia’s High Court since mid-2000.