Seven Judges named for Supreme Court

THE names of the Judges who provide a last port of call for litigants making their way through Namibia’s justice system over the coming year have been announced from the chambers of the Chief Justice.

The list of the most recent appointments to the Supreme Court is marked by one notable absence, though. It does not contain the name of Acting Chief Justice Johan Strydom, whose current term of office ends at the end of September.The Acting Chief Justice is also absent from the list of Judges who will hear 13 appeals set down on the Supreme Court’s roll for October.Enquiries with legal sources yesterday indicated that the Acting Chief Justice is still in the dark about his future – that is, whether his appointment in the top post in Namibia’s judiciary will be extended once again beyond the end of the month, or whether a successor will be appointed from October.It is understood that the Judicial Service Commission, which is constitutionally responsible for recommending the appointment of Judges to the President, is still awaiting indications from Government about its attitude towards keeping the Acting Chief Justice in his post before it meets to consider the issue within the next two weeks.Judge Strydom has been Acting Chief Justice since June last year, when he reached the retirement age of 65 set for Namibia’s judges since 2002.He has been Namibia’s third post-Independence Chief Justice since March 1999.In the meantime, the Supreme Court will have seven Acting Judges of Appeal, in addition to the permanently appointed Judge of Appeal Pio Teek, at its disposal for the year up to the end of August 2005.The seven are of Acting Judges of Appeal Bryan O’Linn, Fred Chomba, Simpson Mtambanengwe, Nic Hannah, Mavis Gibson, Gerhard Maritz and Peter Shivute.The announcement on the President’s latest appointments to the court were made from the chambers of the Chief Justice last week.It does not contain the name of Acting Chief Justice Johan Strydom, whose current term of office ends at the end of September.The Acting Chief Justice is also absent from the list of Judges who will hear 13 appeals set down on the Supreme Court’s roll for October.Enquiries with legal sources yesterday indicated that the Acting Chief Justice is still in the dark about his future – that is, whether his appointment in the top post in Namibia’s judiciary will be extended once again beyond the end of the month, or whether a successor will be appointed from October.It is understood that the Judicial Service Commission, which is constitutionally responsible for recommending the appointment of Judges to the President, is still awaiting indications from Government about its attitude towards keeping the Acting Chief Justice in his post before it meets to consider the issue within the next two weeks.Judge Strydom has been Acting Chief Justice since June last year, when he reached the retirement age of 65 set for Namibia’s judges since 2002.He has been Namibia’s third post-Independence Chief Justice since March 1999.In the meantime, the Supreme Court will have seven Acting Judges of Appeal, in addition to the permanently appointed Judge of Appeal Pio Teek, at its disposal for the year up to the end of August 2005.The seven are of Acting Judges of Appeal Bryan O’Linn, Fred Chomba, Simpson Mtambanengwe, Nic Hannah, Mavis Gibson, Gerhard Maritz and Peter Shivute.The announcement on the President’s latest appointments to the court were made from the chambers of the Chief Justice last week.