Legal profession reboots

Namibian legal professionals have launched a landmark project aimed at taking a detailed look at the state of Namibia's legal landscape and tackling critical issues in order to transform the profession into a more accessible, modern, and respected ally for Namibians seeking legal help. The Change Project is an initiative that “aims to critically assess numerous aspects of the legal profession in Namibia and to propose changes to ensure the profession remains relevant, responsive to the Namibian society and maintains international standards and best practices.” At the media launch yesterday, the chairperson of the project's steering committee, Ramon Maasdorp, said the Change Project was geared “to influence and shape the future of the legal profession and its regulation in Namibia by contributing to a sustainable and more importantly, a relevant profession. The project's slogan is 'Leading the Way to a Trusted, Vibrant and Relevant Namibian Legal Profession'. At the launch yesterday, the committee said the legal profession was at a critical juncture and the project was being undertaken to understand, systematically, the “realities, risks and opportunities of the rapidly changing world we live in, to shape the future of the profession and improve it.”The project is co-sponsored by the Legal Practitioners' Fidelity Fund and the Namibia Legal Practitioners Trust.A steering committee, consisting of Maasdorp, Saima Nambinga, Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi, Toni Hancox and Retha Steinmann, with project manager Eben de Klerk, has been established to drive the project. The catalyst for the Change Project was multiple, according to the committee, and included finding ways to become more relevant to the majority of Namibians “who we do not serve well or at all right now,” as well as to maintain and increase the relevance of legal professionals to existing clients by becoming “more effective and efficient.”In terms of modern innovations in law, notably the automation of many legal services across the globe, the Change Project is geared towards preparing legal practitioners “for a future where the practice of law will look much different from today”, and ensuring that consumers do not fall prey to various online innovations which are easier to access but could lead to dubious and harmful results. The project also wants to play its part in creating “a genuinely transformed profession that serves all Namibians”.Some of the issues that have already been identified include concerns that lawyers lack the necessary competence and willingness to fulfil their duties in assisting the court to reach the right decision in a timely and cost-effective manner and that access to justice is limited. Other issues include challenges around lawyer compensation, the negative public image of lawyers and the mismatch between lawyers and the judiciary in terms of needs and expectations. Moreover, the Law Society of Namibia (LSN), which is seen as a regulator, “has no control over disciplinary proceedings, although the public regards the LSN as a responsible regulator,” and the LSN “cannot effectively identify or mitigate against the risks to clients and the public interesting arising from the changes in the legal landscape.”Several more issues have been identified and will be looked at in depth during the project. Several processes are underway to gather information to help shape the way forward, including giving legal practitioners a chance to contribute their views and recommendations, undertaking in-depth surveys of consumers from the public and crucial institutions and conducting desktop research as well as town hall sessions with key role-players. The deadline is November 2017 for all research and recommendations to be finalised. The project is estimated to run until April 2018.JANA-MARI SMITH

Legal profession reboots

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-30

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Legal profession reboots

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-30

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