The first State of Justice Conference 2026 brought together key stakeholders from across the justice sector to discuss the current state of the sector in the country.

The two-day conference held in Windhoek is a high-level national dialogue platform.  

The discussions reflected on the progress made within the justice system, discussed challenges affecting the administration of justice and explored opportunities to strengthen the justice sector.

It will further consider ways to improve access to justice and justice sector services and promote dialogue, collaboration, and stakeholder participation.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel, said the effectiveness of a law must be measured by the results of the law and how it is impacting the lives of ordinary Namibians.

Therefore, the conference must identify priority areas that will benefit all Namibians. 

Immanuel added, "Are we ensuring access to justice? How do we hold one another accountable as part of the reform that part of it seeks to ensure that there is justice? The fourth question, Your Excellency, is, what does success look like for the justice sector? We must have some performance indicators of this sector, without encroaching into each other's mandates and without compromising institutional independence, but we are. We should ask, "What is the executive doing to aid the meeting?"

Chief Justice Peter Shivute emphasised that while various institutions within the justice sector have distinct constitutional mandates, they function as an interconnected chain. 

Therefore, delays in investigation or prosecution create cascading effects that impact adjudication, victims and correctional facilities.

"That is where the value of this kind of lies. It gives us an opportunity to understand the challenges experienced across the justice sector, to identify whether greater coordination may improve the functioning of the system, and to determine what the institution can do within its own mandate to contribute to that objective. I am particularly encouraged by the emphasis placed on implementation and follow-up," said Shivute.

The conference is held under the theme "Strengthening Justice in Namibia: Building an Efficient, Accessible and Justice Sector"