Chief Justice Peter Shivute has said the low female representation on the Supreme Court bench is worrisome.
Shivute, during the opening of the 2023 legal year at the Supreme Court here on Wednesday, said the male to female ratio in the Judiciary is of concern and greater effort should be made to bring more women on the Supreme Court bench.
He said the Judicial Service Commission has had deliberations on the matter and are in the process of conducting consultations across the board to address this concern.
The Chief Justice added that the process of appointing qualified candidates in the High Court is an even bigger concern.
“The High Court is supposed to be the primary source of recruitment to the Supreme Court, but as we all know, finding willing and suitably qualified candidates for appointment to the High Court has not been plain sailing,” said Shivute.
A number of judges in both the High Court and Supreme Court are expected to leave the Judiciary over the next five years either through retirement or for personal reasons, Shivute said, and with this reality it is difficult to recruit judges to the High Court.
“There is a real concern about how the departing judges will be replaced. This is therefore a matter that is of national concern and will require the collective wisdom of all the organs of State,” he noted.
Another challenge faced by the Judiciary is the resources that will be required to solve the challenges mentioned.
Shivute further said he is looking forward to constructive engagement with the Executive and the Legislative in addressing this issue for the good of the country.
“Without adequate resources the Judiciary can only sustain a minimum level of service delivery,” he cautioned.
Also in attendance was President Hage Geingob, who said the lack of availability of qualified legal practitioners negatively affects the overall administration of justice, which may lead to diminishing public trust in the justice system.
The Head of State also touched on the issue of legal services not being available to persons with disabilities.
He urged the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary to urgently address the need for improved accessibility through the incorporation of braille and sign language services.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
