Welcome to the Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia (MJAN) website. The MJAN is a voluntary professional association for judicial officers.

The MJAN has been in existence for three decades, with the very first MJAN meeting having been held in the capital city of Windhoek in 1995. The MJAN is affiliated with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association. The MJAN has stood the test of time and continues to be relevant to this day and age.

When one takes an oath to be a judicial officer, one surrenders the priceless liberties of life as we all know it, for a virtuous life of public service often strewn with solitude, particularly when burning the midnight oil sifting through evidence in the crucibles of the administration of justice to all, without fear, favor or prejudice and without seeking public adulation.

Drawing from experience as a judicial officer, learning on the bench never stops as law is dynamic in nature, and this platform aims to foster a community of knowledge sharing among judicial officers from the most seasoned to the novice, by consolidating resourceful educational material to create a repository.

In the same breath, as judicial officers, we must acknowledge the fact that the fourth industrial revolution is upon us. Namibia, as a developing country, is inextricably part of the global village, and we now live in an era of borderless crimes. Where sophisticated digital technology is at the fingerprints of criminals. Namibians have witnessed the proliferation of cybercrime in Namibia over the years. Not so long ago, in this jurisdiction, a prominent telecommunications company’s database was under siege orchestrated by cybercriminals.

Therefore, as judicial officers, we must embrace digital transformation and take advantage of the opportunities that come with it, in order to capacitate ourselves with the necessary technological tools and skills to adjudicate cybercrime related matters, in our Courts. Thus the creation of this website marks the begining of a step in the right direction, towards embracing digital transformation.

In conclusion, I leave you with this maxim:

“Doctrina menten alit – Learning nourishes the mind.”

Victor Nyazo

President of the MJAN