Namibia - December 2025
First woman appointed as a permanent Supreme Court judge
On 2 December, the Office of the Judiciary announced that High Court Judge Esi Schimming-Chase had become the first woman to be appointed a permanent Judge of the Supreme Court. Since 2023, Judge Schimming-Chase has also served as one of several Acting Supreme Court Judges, who are appointed on a temporary basis to supplement the capacity of the Court’s permanent judges. Her appointment adds to the growing number of women occupying senior positions within Namibia’s state institutions, especially since the election of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the country’s first female president in 2024.
Sources: The Namibian, Namibia Daily News, Namibia Superior Courts, International IDEA
