Also known as: chief justice Peter Shivute · Chief Justice
Chief Justice of Namibia overseeing judiciary amid critical staffing shortages and rising caseloads in 2026.
The Office of the Judiciary appointed judges from Zimbabwe and Botswana to Namibia's High Court, effective March 2025, as part of efforts to address critical shortages in the judiciary. Esi Schimming-Chase was sworn in as Namibia's first permanent female Supreme Court judge, and Chief Justice Peter Shivute noted that women now constitute the majority of the High Court bench.
4 March 2026 · The Namibian →
The Office of the Judiciary appointed judges from Zimbabwe and Botswana to Namibia's High Court, effective March 2025, as part of efforts to address critical shortages in the judiciary. Esi Schimming-Chase was sworn in as Namibia's first permanent female Supreme Court judge, and Chief Justice Peter Shivute noted that women now constitute the majority of the High Court bench.
4 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Justice Esi Malaika Schimming-Chase has become the first woman to be permanently appointed as a judge to Namibia's Supreme Court, taking her oath of office at a ceremony administered by Chief Justice Peter Shivute. She assumes duties effective 1 March 2026, following a distinguished legal career spanning more than two decades.
3 March 2026 · New Era →
Namibia's Justice Minister Filemon Wise Immanuel has urgently requested residential security protection for all magistrates and prosecutors following the death of Magistrate Justine Shiweda and rising threats against judicial officers in Grootfontein and Ondangwa. Immanuel warned that attacks on judges threaten the independence of the justice system and emphasised that financial constraints cannot delay protecting those who administer justice.
23 February 2026 · New Era →
Memos from the Office of the Judiciary and Ministry of Justice confirm severe budget shortages: the legal aid travel budget is depleted and legal aid counsel must seek to postpone out-of-station hearings; magistrates are barred from travelling outside duty stations for cases between 15 March and 15 April. Chief Justice Peter Shivute warned that underfunding and staff shortages threaten judicial capacity, with civil judges' workload rising 60% despite fewer cases being filed.
20 February 2026 · New Era →
Thousands gathered to pay respects to late Ondangwa regional control prosecutor Justine Ndapandula Shiweda, who died on 7 February 2026 from injuries sustained in a violent attack in October 2025. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and other state officials condemned the attack and pledged that violence against law enforcement will be met with the full force of the law, while a trust fund has been established to support Shiweda's two young children.
16 February 2026 · New Era →
Ondangwa regional control prosecutor Justine Shiweda, who was shot and doused with corrosive acid on 17 October 2025 and died on 7 February, was buried at her family cemetery in Oshana region on Saturday. Chief Justice Peter Shivute warned at her funeral that violence against court officers threatens Namibia's justice system and called for prosecutors and judges to remain committed to administering justice without fear or intimidation.
16 February 2026 · The Namibian →
The High Court's civil bench saw case load surge from an average of 384 cases per judge in 2024 to 614 in 2025, prompting judge Beatrix de Jager to declare publicly that she would not sacrifice her health for an impossible workload. The Namibian editorial argues that government prioritizes resource allocation to natural resource distribution and military recruitment over supporting the judiciary, risking constitutional democracy.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Former finance minister Calle Schlettwein and Chief Justice Peter Shivute have warned that delays in Namibia's under-staffed judiciary damage economic confidence and deter investment, with the civil division of the High Court handling an average of 614 cases per judge last year. However, some analysts dispute this, arguing that Namibia's rule of law remains strong and that executive and legislative delays have a larger impact on investment than judicial delays.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibian officials showcased the country's development strategy at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, emphasizing mining as a foundation for economic growth and positioning Namibia as a regional logistics hub with potential for energy development and mineral value-addition.
12 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Judge Beatrix de Jager postponed delivering a judgement to protect her health, citing an unsustainable workload and workforce shortage that she described as "inhuman." Chief Justice Peter Shivute confirmed that judges are under immense pressure, with civil judges managing an average of 614 cases each in 2025, and called for urgent judicial appointments and support.
12 February 2026 · The Namibian →