Windhoek: Namibia must look beyond the existence of laws on paper and examine whether the justice system is improving the lives of ordinary people, Minister of Labour Relations and Justice Fillemon Immanuel has said.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Immanuel made the remarks at Namibia's first State of Justice Conference on Wednesday, where he challenged delegates to confront what he described as difficult questions about the country's justice system, including access to justice, legislative reform, resource allocation, and the measurement of performance across the sector.

Immanuel stated that the conference should interrogate whether Namibia's laws are keeping pace with a rapidly changing society and whether resources are being directed towards areas where justice is needed most. The conference will conclude on Friday.

"The impact of the law must be measured by the results of that law and how that law is impacting the life of the ordinary Namibians," Immanuel said. He argued that simply having legislation on the statute books does not mean that justice is being delivered, emphasizing that the country must determine which reforms should take priority, how they should be sequenced, and what they will cost.

He cited questions around unclaimed money held by insurance companies and various funds, as well as ongoing research on whether cannabis should be legalised, as examples of issues that require difficult conversations about priorities.

Immanuel also placed access to justice at the center of the conference's discussions, asking whether every Namibian is able to access justice. "Access to justice must never be a privilege of proximity or means," he said. He added that access to justice should not depend on people's ability to afford the system and called for an interrogation of the country's legal aid systems.

The minister further questioned the pace of legislative drafting and law-making, asking how justice can be strengthened when laws intended to address problems in society take extended periods to be amended or enacted. He said accountability among institutions should form part of the reform process and questioned whether Namibia's laws are keeping pace with changes in society and the international community, including artificial intelligence, digital technology, emerging industries, cross-border transactions, organized crime, and environmental pressures.