2023
28 February 2023: I refer to the recent statement made by the Minister of Justice, Ms Yvonne Dausab, as reported in a local newspaper, to the effect that the Legal Assistance Centre is no longer able to take on new legal matters.
The LAC confirms that at this point a lack of funding has given us no option but to curtail our activities, in particular in relation to litigation.
We welcome the Minister’s encouragement to Government to provide more funding for legal aid as well as the call for assistance from the legal profession. Pdf
2022
2021
20 April 2021: The Legal Assistance Centre finds the High Court judgment in the Lühl case very disappointing and disturbing. The Court refused to order the government to issue travel documents to the children involved in the case on flimsy procedural grounds and in our view neglected its primary legal duty to safeguard the best interests of these children. Read more or original pdf.
2020
30 June 2020: The Legal Assistance Centre supports law reform which would expand freedom of choice in respect of abortion, in support of women’s reproductive, rights. Read also in the Southern Times.
COVID-19 State of Emergency and Lockdown Measures
Call on Security Personnel
27 March 2020: The Legal Assistance Centre herewith calls upon the Namibian Police, the National Defence Force, and any other persons and organizations mandated to ensure compliance with security measures, to act in accordance with the Police Act 19 of 1990, and the subsequent Regulations in terms thereof and the Defence Act 1 of 2002, when dealing with persons during the state of emergency and lockdown.
All police and security personnel are called upon to ensure no human rights violations occur, which have not been derogated in terms of the Constitution of Namibia.
2019
Women dies in clinic
22 August 2019: The story explains that a woman died at the Robert Mugabe State Clinic after waiting some 4 hours to be assisted, despite requesting on 3 occasions that she needed to see a nurse urgently. When the clinic closed its doors for lunch, she died. Here our statement on “Access to health”.
Press statement on unlawful NDF and police assaults
2019 April 29: The Legal Assistance Centre notes with extreme concern the reporting in the Namibian of today’s date titled “Soldiers run amok.”
The LAC has received reports of the Namibian Defence Force and Namibian Police assaulting civilians and has a number of civil claims arising from these assaults.
For detailed information of the duties and rights of the police force please read the Police Force Act.
Appeal to restore peace and the rule of law in Zimbabwe post elections
2019 January 27: We, the Namibian Civil Society Organizations under the auspices of Namibia Non-Governmental Organization Forum Trust hereby call upon Your Excellency to use your authority and power as SADC Chairman to intervene on the Zimbabwean deteriorating political situation without further delays.
2018
On the occasion of signing of a funding agreement between Germany and the LAC
2018 August 22: The Federal Republic of Germany, represented here by Ambassador Christian-Matthias Schlaga, should be commended for supporting the Legal Assistance Centre, in particular its Gender Department, to continue with the work it commenced with 25 years ago, namely the empowerment of our women and children.
2012
October 2012: International Day of the refugees
The Research, Science and Technology Act 23 of 2004 was promulgated on 8 December 2004 and came into force on 10 November 2011 by Government Notice 201 of 2011 and published in Gazette 4823 . Regulations under the Act were published in Government Gazette 4828 of 11 November 2011, and came into force along with the Act.
International Day of the refugees
20 June 2012: This is a year of mixed emotions for Angolan refugees in Namibia. The General Cessation Declaration issued by the Government of Namibia is a welcome measure for those who are eager to return…” says Toni Hancox.
In recognition of the day of the African child
15 June 2012: The theme for the 2012 Day of the African Child is “The rights of children with disabilities: the duty to protect, respect, promote and fulfill”.
The Legal Assistance Centre would like to use this day to call attention to the challenges children with mental health disabilities and disorders in Namibia face.
In recognition of the World Elderly Abuse Day
15 June 2012: The purpose of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is to raise awareness of elder abuse throughout the world. There is little discussion about the incidence of elderly abuse in Namibia. However we would like to bring people’s attention to the following findings from our forthcoming report Seeking Safety.
2011
Legal Assistance Centre announces Namlex Update 2010
Feb 2011: The Law Reform and Development Commission and the Legal Assistance Centre are pleased to announce that the 2010 Namlex Update is now available on the LAC website.
Legal Assistance Trust has a new Chairperson
21 Feb 2011: The Legal Assistance Trust, which is the governing body behind the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), appointed a new chairperson last week. Clement Daniels previously served as the director of the LAC from 2000 until May 2004.
2010
Toni Hancox appointed new Director for LAC
08 Feb 2010: The Board of the Legal Assistance Centre announces the appointment of Toni Hancox as the new Director of the Legal Assistance Centre. This is after an extensive recruitment process which commenced in September 2009.
Immigration Control Act Discriminatory to People Living with HIV
05 February 2010: Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) is calling for a section of the Immigration Control Act to be scrapped immediately as it unfairly discriminates against people living with HIV who are entering Namibia.
2009
Success in High Court on Sterilisation Cases
16 Dec 2009: The High Court today agreed with the Legal Assistance Centre that the Public Service Act does not apply to the forced sterilisation cases, in which the LAC is representing several women suing the Government of Namibia for damages.
Human Rights Day 2009: Embrace Diversity, End Discrimination
10 Dec 2009: Learn more about Discrimination that Namibians Continue to Encounter in this Q&A With LAC Director Norman Tjombe.
LAC to Fight for Right to Adequate Sanitisation, Water
30 Nov 2009: Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has announced plans to take legal action against the municipality for the failure to provide adequate water and sanitisation facilities to the community.
Sterilisation Cases to be Argued in High Court
24 Nov 2009: The forced sterilisation cases, in which the LAC is representing several women suing the Government of Namibia for damages, will commence in the High Court of Namibia on Thursday 26 November 2009.
International Children’s Rights Movement Celebrates 20th Anniversary
19 Nov 2009: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted on 20 November 1989, celebrates its 20th anniversary this week. But is enough being done?
Campaign to End Forced Sterilisation Kicks Off
15 Oct 2009: A coalition of civil society organisations calls on Namibians to join a campaign condemning the sterilisation of women living with HIV without their informed consent. The organisations have launched a public petition demanding the practise of sterilisation of women living with HIV without their full and informed consent in public health facilities in Namibia be stopped immediately. The organisations announced plans to march in support of the women when court proceedings commence.
Rape Withdrawal Study Launched
30 Sept 2009: People who file rape cases most often withdraw their rape cases because of receiving compensation from the rapist, a new report from the Gender, Research and Advocacy Project (GR&AP) of the LAC has found.
Etosha’s Former Residents Honoured in New Publication
24 Sept 2009: Born in Etosha, Homage to the Cultural Heritage of the Hai||om is the first publication to pay homage to the forgotten history of the Hai||om who lived in the area and whose lives the proclamation of Etosha National Park completely transformed. Through images, personal reminiscences, character sketches and depictions of some of the more important waterholes, Born in Etosha provides an insightful tribute to these former residents.
Protecting the Rights of Children in Namibia
17 August 2009: To ensure that the Child Care & Protection Bill is in the best possible form before being finalised at the end of 2009, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, with technical assistance from the LAC, has engaged in multi-faceted forms of public consultation. The revision process includes hosting a 3-day workshop to compare and contrast the Namibian bill with the new Children’s Act in South Africa.
LAC Investigating Barriers to Education
10 August 2009: In the Namibian Constitution, the right to free primary education is quantified as a right to all Namibians. Sadly, many children who are school going age never attend or drop out before they reach the age of 16.
Cohabitation Study Looks at Legalities of Couples who Live Together Without Marrying
28 July 2009: More and more men and women in Namibia are choosing to live together without being married to one another. Many of these relationships resemble marriage in every way except that they lack formal legal recognition and protection under the law.
Contraceptives: What’s An Appropriate Age?
26 June 2009: Namibia is changing its main law on children. The proposed new law, the Child Care and Protection Bill, aims to protect and assist Namibian children. Part of that law looks at the age people should be able to access contraceptives without their parent’s permission.
Should Namibia Lower its Age of Majority to 18?
10 June 2009: Currently, Namibia’s age of majority is set at 21. But maybe Namibia’s age of majority should be lowered to 18. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is revising the Child Care and Protection Bill and the public is being invited to give their opinions or raise their concerns before this draft becomes law.
The Show Isn’t Over, Until…Returns to the Stage
08 June 2009: With an election around the corner, “The Show Isn’t Over, Until..10 Years On” returns to the stage with a fresh new insight into Namibian politics. Legal Assistance Centre, the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) and Home Brewed Production are proud to present a free, one-time only performance of “The Show Isn’t Over, Until..” on June 17 on the NTN stage.
Protecting the Rights of Namibia’s Children – Revising the Child Care and Protection Bill
16 Apr 2009: In 2009, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare will be revising the Child Care and Protection Bill. Law reform in this area is essential if children in Namibia are to receive the care and protection they so desperately need. The Bill addresses a number of key areas including children’s courts, early intervention services, procedures for removing endangered children from the home, foster care, adoption, child trafficking, child‐headed households and many more issues. (pdf only)
Protecting the Rights of Namibia’s Children – Members of the Technical Committee
16 Apr 2009: A team of stakeholders from government Ministries, UNICEF and the LAC are revising the Child Care and Protection Bill. The team is also working with a team of international experts. (pdf only)
AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL AT UN PLAZA
16 Jan 2009: From Monday, January 26th to Thursday January 29th, at the UN Plaza in Katutura, the Legal Assistance Centre and Sister Namibia (with the support of the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre) will present a series of documentary films that tackle the cross cutting issues that are impacting Africa and the world.
2008
EXHIBITION CELEBRATES 60th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
25 November 2008: LAC partners with the United Nations and the European Commission to celebrate Human Rights in an art exhibition depicting various articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
LAC WINS HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
17 October 2008: The LAC was the recipient of the Human Rights Award by the JP Karuaihe Trust Fund for its commitment in seeking justice for all.
UN FINDS NAMIBIA WANTING IN ADHERING TO INTERNATIONAL ANTI-RACISM LAWS
20 August 2008: A LAC-led submission on continuing race and gender discrimination is drawing international attentional from the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the United Nations.
ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF A NEW MONOGRAPH SERIES
24 June 2008: The Gender Research & Advocacy Project released a new monograph series that focuses on important gender-related issues that are hot topics in Namibia’s legal landscape.
TRANSPARENCY IN LAND ADMINISTRATION – A CLOSER LOOK
20/06/2008 – WHY should Namibians concern themselves with a transparent land administrative system? The answer is obvious.
STAND UP FOR ZIMBABWE DURING AFRICA DAY
23/05/2008 – The Legal Assistance Centre is calling on all Namibians to stand up for the end to the violence, to stand up for justice and to stand up for accountability on Africa Day, May 25.
SHIP CARRYING ZIMBABWE-BOUND WEAPONS EXPECTED TO ENTER NAMIBIAN PORT
21/04/2008: The Legal Assistance Centre is calling on all concerned citizens in Namibia to raise their voice against a Chinese vessel – the An Yue Jiang – loaded with weapons, from docking in Namibia’s shores.
LAC LAUNCHES REPORT INVESTIGATING WOMEN’S LAND RIGHTS
10/04/2008: The Legal Assistance Centre is calling on the Ministry of Land and Resettlement to embark on an agressive information campaign to educate land right holders about their rights and to end property grabbing of homesteads from widows.
LAC ALARMED BY LACK OF ZIMBABWEAN ELECTION OBSERVERS
26/03/2008: The Legal Assistance Centre learned with disappointment of the failure, refusal or neglect by the Zimbabwean Government to process the application of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Lawyers Association to observe the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe.
2007
HEALTH EXPERTS CALL FOR “MAJOR SHIFT” IN GLOBAL AIDS RESPONSE
29/11/2007: More than 30 leading AIDS organizations, including the Legal Assistance Centre, today called for a major shift in the global response to HIV and AIDS, issuing an unprecedented joint declaration on the need to put legal and human rights protections at the center of HIV efforts.
SEX IN JAILS: FACT NOT FICTION
01/11/2007:The time has come to scrap the common law of sodomy to allow for the distribution of condoms in prison. It is increasingly clear that the common law crim of sodomy does not have any place in our modern society and runs counter to our Constitution.
2005
ANALYSIS OF THE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURAL LAND REFORM PROCESS
22/09/2005: This report addresses topics such as the introduction of land tax on commercial agricultural land, expropriation of commercial agricultural land, the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme, the Resettlement Programme, the Emerging Commercial Farmers Support Programme and foreign donor support on the land reform process.
LAC concerned about growing child sexual abuse
04/02/2005: The Legal Assistance Centre is deeply concerned about the growing problem of child sexual abuse in Namibia – not just the high profile cases which have occupied national attention in the last week, but also the multitude of cases of child rape which take place on a horrifyingly regular basis.
