ANDREW WILLIAM CORBETT

P.O. Box 20557
Windhoek
9000
Telephone: 256834 (w)
E-mail: acorbett@iafrica.com.na

admitted as attorney of the Supreme Court
of the Cape and Namibia in 1988
(practicing as an advocate of the High Court of Namibia from 2001)

 

 

EDUCATION
1986: University of Cape Town, South Africa (LLB)
1980: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (BA (Law))

EXPERIENCE
April 2000 – practicing advocate with areas of involvement including:

  • legal advice and litigation in commercial disputes involving commercial contracts, mining, environmental law, administrative law, human rights, constitutional law, property law, labour law and customary law;
  • rendering of opinions on a broad range of commercial issues, and in relation to customary law and traditional authorities, land and property, wildlife, water and other natural resources and tourism rights, indigenous minorities, electricity issues;
  • member of Bar Council of the Society of Advocates of Namibia: 2002 – 2005; 2010 to present; currently vice-president;
  • chairperson of Namibia Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO-until 2001), an association of community based natural resource management practitioners from both the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and NGOs with programmes primarily in the Kunene and Caprivi Regions of Namibia;
  • member of Board of Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation Trust and the Namibia Nature Foundation Trust, amongst others;
  • advice and drafting of legislation for the Ministry of Justice in respect of the implementation of the child justice programme in Namibia (July 2004 to October 2005);
  • advice and drafting of electoral laws for the Law Reform and Development Commission (August 2012 – January 2013);
  • appointed by the President as an acting judge of the High Court of Namibia for the period September to November 2011 and the author of several reported judgments;
  • mediation and arbitration, and a court accredited mediator since 2015.
Jan – March 2000 consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development (legal team member of the Namibia Water Resources Management Review) tasked with developing national policy based on regional and international experience, and drafting a new Water Bill for Namibia on a World Bank contract (with technical assistance from the FAO).
Aug 1992 – Dec 1999 Director, Legal Assistance Centre, Windhoek (a public interest law firm, having a strong commitment to human rights, with regional offices in Namibia): in addition to administrative responsibilities and continuing litigation, legal advice and community education:

  • chairperson of the Community-Based Natural Resources Management Association of Namibia (an association of CBNRM practitioners from both government and NGOs with the Ministry of Environment holding the vice-chair);
  • member of the LIFE environmental steering committee;
  • trustee of the Human Rights and Documentation Centre;
  • trustee of the National Literacy Trust;
  • chairperson of the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation Trust;
  • drafted various legislation for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, including the Namibia Wildlife Resorts Establishment Act, the Namibia Tourism Board Establishment Act, the Tourism Act, the Forestry Act and the Nature Conservation Amendment Act);
  • advised the Ministry of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation on legal aspects of land policy, land management and land use planning (both policy advice and legislative drafting), and served on national technical committee established by government to develop a land tenure policy for Namibia;
  • advised the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development concerning legal options for community management in respect of the rural water supply sector and drafter of Rural Water Supply Management Bill;
  • advisor to Ministry of Labour and Human Resources Development on a future Workers’ Compensation Act;
  • delegate to UN World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, June 1993;
  • chaired conciliation boards, mediations and arbitrations in respect of labour disputes;
  • advised various urban and rural community groupings and NGOs on the institutional forms available to them to manage their activities and to participate in income generating activities;
  • represented the family of the late Anton Lubowski at an inquest into his death allegedly at the hands of a South African hit squad;
  • representation and training of rural communities, including indigenous minorities, in regard to land and environmental issues;
  • member of national executive committee of Namibia Non-Governmental Organisations Forum;
  • co-author of the Namibian Labour Manual;
  • author of various articles and research papers on land, environmental, CBNRM, human rights and labour matters.
July 1988 – July 1992 attorney, Legal Assistance Centre, specialising in labour and human rights work, including:

  • litigation and advice in human rights matters, including acting for the victims of police and army brutality during the struggle for Namibia’s independence, legal defence in political trials and the monitoring of the peace process in close co-operation with UNTAG during the implementation of Resolution 435;
  • labour advice and drafting, primarily for the affiliates of the National Union of Namibian Workers, on matters such as constitutions, recognition agreements, health and safety agreements, workmen’s compensation, etc.;
  • advisor to the Namibian Worker Delegation to the 77th session of the International Labour Conference, Geneva, June 1990;
  • advisor to the National Union of Namibian Workers on the Labour Act and participated in a number of educational initiatives around the new Act;
  • member of Working Group advising the Namibian Government on co-operatives policy and legislation;
  • presented papers at numerous human rights and labour seminars.
1986 – June 1988 articled clerk and attorney at Mallinick, Ress, Richman and Closenberg, Inc. in Cape Town, and in addition to commercial work, specialising in labour law and human rights work, including:

  • legal advisor to the United Democratic Front in the Western Cape;
  • legal advisor to trade unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the National Council of Trade Unions;
  • legal representative of anti-apartheid activists in political trials, including the military wing of the African National Congress;
  • legal representative of numerous members of the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress incarcerated on Robben Island for political activities.
1984: fellow, Legal Resources Centre, Cape Town, specialising in labour law and human rights work.
1983: co-ordinator of Legal Aid Clinic, University of Cape Town.