• Home
  • JUSTICE
  • Namibia, Uganda chief justices discuss legal reform

Namibia, Uganda chief justices discuss legal reform

Augetto Graig
Uganda's Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo visited Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute at the Supreme Court on Friday as part of a courtesy visit. The meeting, squeezed into Owiny-Dollo's busy itinerary, occurred during his time in Namibia to learn about sustainable charcoal production. Uganda has faced severe environmental damage from irregular and uncontrolled charcoal production, halted by a presidential decree. Owiny-Dollo’s visit, organized with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aimed to draw lessons from Namibia’s advanced charcoal industry, which promotes environmental sustainability and economic development.



Shivute expressed hope that Owiny-Dollo’s tour of Namibia’s mausassa and charcoal industries was enlightening. During their meeting, Shivute extended an invitation for Owiny-Dollo to return to Namibia, particularly to share Uganda's experiences with plea bargaining. Shivute emphasized the need for Namibia to adopt this practice, which expedites the resolution of criminal cases and alleviates court backlogs. He praised Uganda’s progress with plea bargaining, saying, “The introduction of plea bargaining in Namibia is an idea whose time has long come.”



Both justices acknowledged the importance of the African Chief Justice’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum (ACJAF), which aims to reduce case backlogs and promote efficient judicial administration across the continent. Shivute commended Owiny-Dollo’s decisive role in establishing the forum and highlighted Namibia’s active participation.



In response, Owiny-Dollo lauded Shivute's leadership in expanding the Southern African Chief Justices Forum to include East Africa, forming the South and East African Chief Justices Forum. He emphasized the importance of African nations reclaiming their heritage through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Owiny-Dollo noted that in Uganda, traditional legal systems resolve the majority of disputes informally. He suggested formalizing these systems to enhance their efficacy while preserving their essence.



Owiny-Dollo also shared insights from his recent visit to Zambia, where alternative dispute resolution has successfully facilitated mining-related solutions. Drawing comparisons, he cited the United States, where plea bargaining resolves up to 96% of criminal cases, while most civil disputes are settled through negotiation, arbitration, and mediation. He stressed the economic advantages of quick dispute resolution, remarking, “No investor wants to wait two years or more for a decision, but if a dispute can be settled favorably or not within six months, then they will come and invest.”



The discussions underscored the shared commitment of the two chief justices to judicial reform, legal innovation, and sustainable development across Africa.

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-02-15

No comments have been left on this article

Please login to leave a comment

Six Nations: Scotland 18 vs 32 Ireland | England 26 vs 25 France | Italy 22 vs 15 Wales Premier League: Everton 2 vs 2 Liverpool Katima Mulilo: 18° | 28° Rundu: 18° | 28° Eenhana: 18° | 27° Oshakati: 19° | 27° Ruacana: 18° | 27° Tsumeb: 18° | 25° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 24° Omaruru: 19° | 29° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Gobabis: 19° | 22° Henties Bay: 18° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:07, High tide: 05:11, Low Tide: 23:08, High tide: 17:22 Swakopmund: 17° | 18° Wind speed: 16km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:09, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:20 Walvis Bay: 18° | 21° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:08, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:19 Rehoboth: 21° | 30° Mariental: 24° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 26° | 37° Aranos: 21° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 27° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 39° Oranjemund: 15° | 23° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 20° | 31° Lubumbashi: 17° | 21° Mbabane: 17° | 24° Maseru: 18° | 31° Antananarivo: 18° | 22° Lilongwe: 19° | 29° Maputo: 22° | 31° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Cape Town: 19° | 24° Durban: 21° | 24° Johannesburg: 18° | 30° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 17° | 19° Harare: 17° | 23° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.24 | CNY to NAD 2.53 | USD to NAD 18.37 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.21 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 134.95 | USD to AOA 912 | USD to BWP 13.83 | USD to EGP 50.59 | USD to KES 129.22 | USD to NGN 1509 | USD to ZAR 18.35 | USD to ZMW 28.15 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 88717.13 Up +1.00% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1797.63 Up +0.36% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 16452.23 Up +0.33% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 29997.11 Up +1.13% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 10063.87 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 882.48/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.62/lb DOWN -0.0281 | Zinc US$ 2 857.30/T DOWN -0.07% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.89/BBP DOWN -0.0102 | Platinum US$ 1 001.35/OZ DOWN -0.0362 Sport results: Six Nations: Scotland 18 vs 32 Ireland | England 26 vs 25 France | Italy 22 vs 15 Wales Premier League: Everton 2 vs 2 Liverpool Weather: Katima Mulilo: 18° | 28° Rundu: 18° | 28° Eenhana: 18° | 27° Oshakati: 19° | 27° Ruacana: 18° | 27° Tsumeb: 18° | 25° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 24° Omaruru: 19° | 29° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Gobabis: 19° | 22° Henties Bay: 18° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:07, High tide: 05:11, Low Tide: 23:08, High tide: 17:22 Swakopmund: 17° | 18° Wind speed: 16km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:09, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:20 Walvis Bay: 18° | 21° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:08, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:19 Rehoboth: 21° | 30° Mariental: 24° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 26° | 37° Aranos: 21° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 27° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 39° Oranjemund: 15° | 23° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 20° | 31° Lubumbashi: 17° | 21° Mbabane: 17° | 24° Maseru: 18° | 31° Antananarivo: 18° | 22° Lilongwe: 19° | 29° Maputo: 22° | 31° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Cape Town: 19° | 24° Durban: 21° | 24° Johannesburg: 18° | 30° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 17° | 19° Harare: 17° | 23° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.24 | CNY to NAD 2.53 | USD to NAD 18.37 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.21 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 134.95 | USD to AOA 912 | USD to BWP 13.83 | USD to EGP 50.59 | USD to KES 129.22 | USD to NGN 1509 | USD to ZAR 18.35 | USD to ZMW 28.15 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 88717.13 Up +1.00% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1797.63 Up +0.36% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 16452.23 Up +0.33% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 29997.11 Up +1.13% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 10063.87 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 882.48/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.62/lb DOWN -0.0281 | Zinc US$ 2 857.30/T DOWN -0.07% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.89/BBP DOWN -0.0102 | Platinum US$ 1 001.35/OZ DOWN -0.0362