The chief justice of Namibia is the head of the

Supreme Court of Namibia The Supreme Court of Namibia is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of Namibia, judicial system of Namibia. It is the court of last resort and the highest appellate court in the country. It is located in the city centre of Namibia's ...

, the highest

appellate court An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear a case upon appeal from a trial court or other lower tribunal. Appel ...

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. It is the highest post in the Namibian judicial system, presiding over the operation of the

supreme court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. The position was created on 21 March 1990, the day of Namibian independence, along with the foundation of the Supreme Court. The chief justice is responsible for the swearing-in of members of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

as well as the president of Namibia, and further for the safekeeping of the presidential symbols of the power (constitution, seal of state, and national flag) during the handover from one president to another. They can further request the

Namibian president The president of Namibia is the head of state and head of government of Namibia. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of Namibia, government, acts as chair of the Cabinet of Namibia, Cabinet and is the commander-in-chie ...

to appoint Acting Judges, either to fill temporary vacancies, or to supplement the jury ''ad hoc'' with experts on certain legal issues. The Chief Justice and all other judges are appointed by the

President of Namibia The president of Namibia is the head of state and head of government of Namibia. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of Namibia, government, acts as chair of the Cabinet of Namibia, Cabinet and is the commander-in-chie ...

on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission in which the Chief Justice is a member. Other members of this commission are the Attorney-General of Namibia, a judge appointed by the President, and two representatives of the legal fraternity.

Appointment controversy

While Namibia's constitution enshrines the independence of the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, appointment of judges lies in the power of the president. In 2002, the official retirement age for judges in Namibia was amended from 70 to 65. At reaching retirement age, judges including the Chief Justice can only be reappointed in acting position. This change cut short the term of Namibia's third Chief Justice

Johan Strydom Johan may refer to: * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (1921 film), a Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (2005 film), a Dutch romantic comedy film * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Joh ...

who became 65 in June 2003, a move that was speculated to be part of a plan to appoint a Chief Justice with close ties to

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO ; , SWAVO; , SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been ...

, the ruling party.

List of chief justices

As a legacy of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

, Justices in Namibia bear the title ''

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

''. The chief justice is His Lordship

Peter Shivute Peter Sam Shivute (born 25 September 1963) is a Namibian judge who has served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Namibia since 2004. He is the first black Namibian to be appointed to this position. Early life and education Shivute wa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chief Justice Of Namibia *