Criminal justice system irks public
It is up to magistrates to take note of recurring issues like GBV and act on them to restore the public’s faith in the justice system, Chief Justice Petrus Shivute said.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
Chief Justice Petrus Shivute has highlighted several issues in the criminal justice system that cause frustration among the public.
According to him, the public has raised concern regarding issues such as the granting of bail to repeat offenders and the long delays between arrest, appointment of legal aid counsel, first appearance at court and the finalisation of criminal cases.
Shivute said this in a speech read on his behalf by Judge President Petrus Damaseb at the annual Magistrates Conference, which took place under the theme ‘The Changing Face of the Magistracy: Balancing Independence and Accountability’.
“I am mentioning some of the issues that are causing public frustration with regard to the criminal justice system. I urge you to take notice and to be vigilant of these emerging issues and to be more responsive to the needs of the community you serve,” he said.
He added that some factors, such as gender-based violence (GBV), are a recurring issue in society.
“It is up to us to take notice of these issues and act on them in order to restore the public’s faith in us.”
‘Serious problem’
Shivute said it is sad to note that violence against women and children, that invariably involves rape and murder, remain a very serious problem in Namibian society.
The gravity of this problem is apparent from the number of disturbing cases of GBV reported by the media over the past few months and weeks, he said.
“We, however, remain cognisant of this concern and that, united in our efforts, these will be addressed within the confines of the law and the available resources.”
Improving integrity and accountability
He further spoke about the theme of the conference, saying it is intended to strengthen compliance and judicial ethics and devise means to improve integrity and accountability among judicial officers as well as to bolster public confidence in the justice system.
“The theme also aims to remind us of our constitutional mandate to do justice to all our people, especially the vulnerable and the less able segments of our society, who are in most cases unable to benefit from the justice system.”
Shivute stressed that a cardinal feature of a democratic system is the principle that the judicial branch is independent, and that judicial officers perform their judicial function without being subject to any form of duress, pressure or influence from any persons or other institutions.
He, however, added: “Judicial independence is not synonymous with doing as one pleases. It does also not denote freedom from administrative control and supervision by authorised persons within the hierarchy of the institution. It does not mean indifference to legitimate concerns of communities we serve either.”
WINDHOEK
Chief Justice Petrus Shivute has highlighted several issues in the criminal justice system that cause frustration among the public.
According to him, the public has raised concern regarding issues such as the granting of bail to repeat offenders and the long delays between arrest, appointment of legal aid counsel, first appearance at court and the finalisation of criminal cases.
Shivute said this in a speech read on his behalf by Judge President Petrus Damaseb at the annual Magistrates Conference, which took place under the theme ‘The Changing Face of the Magistracy: Balancing Independence and Accountability’.
“I am mentioning some of the issues that are causing public frustration with regard to the criminal justice system. I urge you to take notice and to be vigilant of these emerging issues and to be more responsive to the needs of the community you serve,” he said.
He added that some factors, such as gender-based violence (GBV), are a recurring issue in society.
“It is up to us to take notice of these issues and act on them in order to restore the public’s faith in us.”
‘Serious problem’
Shivute said it is sad to note that violence against women and children, that invariably involves rape and murder, remain a very serious problem in Namibian society.
The gravity of this problem is apparent from the number of disturbing cases of GBV reported by the media over the past few months and weeks, he said.
“We, however, remain cognisant of this concern and that, united in our efforts, these will be addressed within the confines of the law and the available resources.”
Improving integrity and accountability
He further spoke about the theme of the conference, saying it is intended to strengthen compliance and judicial ethics and devise means to improve integrity and accountability among judicial officers as well as to bolster public confidence in the justice system.
“The theme also aims to remind us of our constitutional mandate to do justice to all our people, especially the vulnerable and the less able segments of our society, who are in most cases unable to benefit from the justice system.”
Shivute stressed that a cardinal feature of a democratic system is the principle that the judicial branch is independent, and that judicial officers perform their judicial function without being subject to any form of duress, pressure or influence from any persons or other institutions.
He, however, added: “Judicial independence is not synonymous with doing as one pleases. It does also not denote freedom from administrative control and supervision by authorised persons within the hierarchy of the institution. It does not mean indifference to legitimate concerns of communities we serve either.”
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