Legal practitioners have been urged to maintain integrity in all aspects of their work.
This appeal came from Gladice Pickering, the Executive Director at the Ministry of Justice, during the unveiling of the Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund's new corporate identity and strategic plan.
Bodies such as the Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund are a means to secure the integrity of the profession.
It provides a control mechanism that wards against wrongdoing through the auspices of the profession's own membership, provides restorative justice, and acts as a mechanism to police itself.
It will also further have an impact on the advancement of the Namibian economy, as players in the economy need to be assured not only that legislation considers them but also that the evolution of the law will be considered and equitable.
"Integrity ensures trust and confidence in the legal system. People are more likely to comply with laws and cooperate with legal proceedings when they believe that the law, as embodied by its legal structures and institutions, is fair and unbiased. Laws must be seen to apply equally to all, which requires the impartiality and honesty of legal institutions. Integrity and impartiality within institutions ensure that laws are applied and enforced in a just manner. Integrity safeguards against corruption within the legal system and fraternity, but malfeasance can undermine that hard-won trust."
The website will enable the public to access the fund and has functionality that allows the public to see if certain legal practitioners are in a position for a fidelity certificate fund.
The Fidelity Fund was established by the Legal Practitioners Act of 1995.
However, given the critical role it plays, its wide-reaching impact, and the evolution of Namibia, it is vital that the Fund mature as an institutional entity.
The Law Society of Namibia, the Board of Control of the Fidelity Fund, is instituting measures to further develop the Fidelity Fund as an effective and impactful body.
The Chairperson of the Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund, Nolan Swarts, says that the fund's strategy will be to implement its own institutional and administrative structure and capacity to efficiently investigate and resolve allegations received by it.
"The Fund currently operates as a function of the Law Society. It is operated by a Board of Control consisting of three independent members and one or two ex-officio members of the Law Society, supported by capacity provided by the Society. It has become increasingly clear that to function efficiently, the Fund must develop its own efficient operational structure. Bear in mind, please, that members of the Board of Control are also engaged in their professional obligations, and the Law Society has limited resources that it can make available to the Fund.