Chief justice Peter Shivute has paid tribute to retiring Supreme Court judge Dave Smuts as "a towering figure in the legal profession" in Namibia.
Smuts' life and career "epitomise dedication, intellect and service", Shivute said at a ceremony to bid farewell to Smuts and swear in his successor as judge of appeal, former High Court deputy judge president Hosea Angula, at the Supreme Court yesterday.
Smuts retired as a judge of the Supreme Court at the end of November.
He became a judge of appeal in the country's top court at the start of 2015, after serving as a High Court judge for four years.
Smuts earned a law degree at Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 1977, was admitted as an attorney in Namibia in 1982, and obtained a master's degree in law at Harvard University in the United States of America in 1983, Shivute recounted.
He was the first director of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) upon its founding in 1988, and received a human rights award from Human Rights Watch in New York in 1990, Shivute said.
"His judicial career has been nothing short of exemplary," Shivute said.
"His judgements across various branches of law, including labour, administrative and human rights law, have left a permanent imprint on our jurisprudence, providing precedents that will guide legal thought for generations to come," the chief justice said.
Addressing Smuts, he added: "As you retire, you leave behind a legacy of intellectual rigour, fairness and commitment to justice."
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Smuts said he considers himself fortunate and privileged to have had a richly divergent journey in the law.
The 14 years he has been a judge "have been a time of fulfilment", Smuts said.
"I've been so fortunate to cap it all by spending the last 10 years - very happy years - at this court, after four worthwhile years at the High Court," he said.
"The work on this court has been hugely stimulating and rewarding," he said, adding that he enjoyed a harmonious and collegial working relationship with other judges of the Supreme Court.
"This court is unified and cohesive, unlike the stories of apex courts in other jurisdictions which are often plagued with division and almost backbiting," Smuts said.
"There's none of that here. We have a truly unified, harmonious relationship," he said.
Angula served as deputy judge president since the start of 2016.
He has also been serving as an acting judge of appeal of the Supreme Court since 2018, Shivute noted.
"With the Supreme Court's ever-increasing caseload, justice Angula's addition to the bench comes at a crucial time," he said.
"His extensive experience and expertise will significantly contribute to the court's ability to meet its growing demands."
