Staff Reporter
THE Law Association of Mooting and Advocacy was officially launched under the theme of the Law week for 2021, “Executing the true form of International Justice within the Namibia Sphere.”
The Launch was initiated by way of hosting a Moot Court session amongst 3rd and 4th-year law students at the University of Namibia, where they mooted amongst a full high court bench of High Court Judges (Hypothetical) on a refugee and immigration-related issue.
In his opening speech, the Chairperson of L.A.M.A. Counsel Naboth De Celestino, a third-year law student stated that the Law Association of Mooting and Advocacy aspires to create a platform within which law students may gain exposure to legal practice by providing first-hand practical insight into mooting, developing oratory and written skills as well as providing a passionate debate.
The official opening of L.A.M.A. was attended by law students, recent law graduates as well as few individuals from the general public and students of other faculties.
It was presided over by Judges Karel Gaeb, a Legal Practitioner at Sisa Namandje and Co, Jamey Janke, a Legal Practitioner at Sisa Namandje and Co as well as Lizazi Libebe, a former magistrate and lecturer at the University of Namibia.
The students mooted the hypothetical case of Chippa v Government of the Republic of Namibia. In the case of Chippa v Government of the Republic of Namibia (CA 01/2021) [2017] NALC 01 (04 May 2021), the court had to decide whether the applicant, a certain Mr. Chippa born of refugee parents was entitled to acquiring Namibian citizenship by virtue of Article 4(1)(b) amongst other prayers or not.
This Article deals with citizenship by birth to those born before independence and to parents who were ordinarily resident in the country upon the birth of their child.
Dorald Mathias, Rebecca !Gontes, Ashriff Feris acted as the applicant’s lawyers while Vejaruka Ndjoze, Naboth De Celestino, and Helge Guriras acted as the respondent’s lawyers.
Later this year, the L.A.M.A. will again host two competitions as well as weekly training sessions for mooters.
