Pohamba appoints new Judges

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has made his first appointment of full-time Judges since the start of his presidency.

The President has appointed High Court Judge Gerhard Maritz as a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court with effect from January 1, the Office of the Chief Justice announced on Friday. The President has also appointed a new Judge in the High Court.He is senior counsel Louis Muller, a member of the Society of Advocates who has been acting as a Judge of the High Court since October 1.The 59-year-old Muller was appointed as a Judge of the High Court with effect from December 1.The new judicial appointments were made on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.Judge Muller has acted as a High Court Judge in Namibia on various occasions between 1990 and 1995.In late 1992 he also served as an Acting Judge of the Orange Free State division of South Africa’s High Court.Judge Maritz has served on the High Court bench in a full-time capacity since August 1999.He is only the second person to be appointed as a Judge of Appeal of Namibia’s Supreme Court in a permanent capacity since that court came into existence with Namibia’s Independence in 1990.At the age of 52, Judge Maritz may still serve on the bench in a full-time capacity for the next 13 years before he reaches the retirement age of 65 that the High Court and Supreme Court Acts prescribe for Judges in Namibia.Judge Maritz will join a relatively youthful Chief Justice Peter Shivute, who is now 42, at the Supreme Court as the only permanently appointed Judges of that court.If they manage to reach consensus on most of the appeals that are set to land before them for final adjudication, they may now have an opportunity to together shape the development of Namibian law in the country’s highest court for the next 13 years – or more, if Judge Maritz’s tenure was to be extended with further appointments in an acting capacity after reaching retirement age.Parallel to his tenure on the High Court bench, Judge Maritz has also been an Acting Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court for the past two years.The Office of the Chief Justice also announced a further two appointments at the High Court.These are the extension of the tenure of Acting Judge Simpson Mtambanengwe with effect from January to the end of December next year, while Judge Annel Silungwe is set to remain on the bench as an Acting Judge from the start of February to the end of January 2007.In January, Judge Silungwe, a former Chief Justice of Zambia, will reach the retirement age of 70 that was still in force when he was first appointed as a Judge of Namibia’s High Court in February 1999.Acting Judge Mtambanengwe, who has served on the High Court bench since October 1994, has remained on the bench in an acting capacity since he passed that age in December 2001.He, too, is also currently serving as an Acting Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court – an appointment running to the end of August next year.The President has also appointed a new Judge in the High Court.He is senior counsel Louis Muller, a member of the Society of Advocates who has been acting as a Judge of the High Court since October 1.The 59-year-old Muller was appointed as a Judge of the High Court with effect from December 1.The new judicial appointments were made on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.Judge Muller has acted as a High Court Judge in Namibia on various occasions between 1990 and 1995.In late 1992 he also served as an Acting Judge of the Orange Free State division of South Africa’s High Court.Judge Maritz has served on the High Court bench in a full-time capacity since August 1999.He is only the second person to be appointed as a Judge of Appeal of Namibia’s Supreme Court in a permanent capacity since that court came into existence with Namibia’s Independence in 1990.At the age of 52, Judge Maritz may still serve on the bench in a full-time capacity for the next 13 years before he reaches the retirement age of 65 that the High Court and Supreme Court Acts prescribe for Judges in Namibia.Judge Maritz will join a relatively youthful Chief Justice Peter Shivute, who is now 42, at the Supreme Court as the only permanently appointed Judges of that court.If they manage to reach consensus on most of the appeals that are set to land before them for final adjudication, they may now have an opportunity to together shape the development of Namibian law in the country’s highest court for the next 13 years – or more, if Judge Maritz’s tenure was to be extended with further appointments in an acting capacity after reaching retirement age.Parallel to his tenure on the High Court bench, Judge Maritz has also been an Acting Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court for the past two years.The Office of the Chief Justice also announced a further two appointments at the High Court.These are the extension of the tenure of Acting Judge Simpson Mtambanengwe with effect from January to the end of December next year, while Judge Annel Silungwe is set to remain on the bench as an Acting Judge from the start of February to the end of January 2007.In January, Judge Silungwe, a former Chief Justice of Zambia, will reach the retirement age of 70 that was still in force when he was first appointed as a Judge of Namibia’s High Court in February 1999.Acting Judge Mtambanengwe, who has served on the High Court bench since October 1994, has remained on the bench in an acting capacity since he passed that age in December 2001.He, too, is also currently serving as an Acting Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court – an appointment running to the end of August next year.