By: Ketemba Tjipepa

Namibia is progressing toward establishing a small claims court, an initiative the justice minister Yvonne Dausab believes should have been implemented earlier.

Dausab told the regional workshop today in Windhoek about enhancing equal access to legal aid in criminal justice.

“Namibia is considering, and we are at an advanced stage to introduce a small claims court, something that we believe we should have done a long time ago, but it is the time for that now. And one of the things that we hope to achieve with that legislation is to ensure that people are not subjected to the legalese and cumbersome procedures that our court systems, rightly so, have in place for people to present their case,” said Dausab.

While acknowledging that many rights are guaranteed in the constitution, Dausab said the emphasis on access to justice needs to be increased.

“We hope with a small claims court we are able to achieve what we have always wanted, which is to make the law, the courts and justice accessible, and affordable to everyone”.

Chief Justice Peter Shivute said despite complaints about payment delays to legal aid practitioners, all clients deserve individual attention.

” On the other hand, there have been concerns from legal aid clients that some practitioners do not give the same attention to legal aid cases as they do to private paying clients. This is a matter of great concern, as every case, regardless of the client’s financial situation, deserves full and undivided attention,” said Shivute.

Shivute called on all stakeholders to maintain professionalism and commitment in legal aid representation.

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