AIDS Law Unit
(ALU)

Promoting a human rights based response to HIV/AIDS in Namibia, focusing on both the infringement of civil and political rights on the basis of HIV status and the denial of socio-economic rights.
 Human Rights & Constitutional Unit (HURICON)

Huricon engages in test case litigation relating to human rights issues or rights protected by the Namibian Constitution including the right to dignity, privacy, equality and freedom from discrimination.
 
Gender, Research & Advocacy Project (GR&AP)

The Gender Research & Advocacy Project seeks to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women through legal research, law reform and related advocacy work.
 Land, Environment & Development (LEAD) Project

The LEAD Project''s aim is to address the needs of the rural poor by cooperating with government and NGOs through research, training, law reform, litigation and lobbying.
 
Namibian Law Report

The Law Report contains important judgments given by Namibia’s Labour Court, High Court and Supreme Court.

Our Cases
The following nine cases are some that the LAC is currently pursing.

Lotta Frans v Inke Paschke and Three Others
This case involves the common law provisions which exclude children born out of wedlock from inheriting intestate from their fathers. Lotta’s father died in 1991 and his estate was finalised in 1993, with his sister inheriting everything (two farms and lots of cash). The father was not married, but he had two children, Lotta and Hendison.

When Lotta and his brother consulted the LAC in January 2005, Hendison’s case already prescribed by then – him being an adult then. Lotta only was only 21 then and turned 22 later in the year. Summons was issued for his share of the estate (as if the common law did not exist) and for a declaratory that the common law be declared unconstitutional (the Children’s Status Act ultimately dealt with that provision).

Rights to be asserted:
Right to equality
Right to dignity
Right to property
Children’s rights to be cared for by both their parents

Hafeni Shooya v City of Windhoek
Hafeni is a young man who everyday would stand, along with others, next to the traffic lights in the city looking for a day-job for some income. The City Police then descended on them, wanting to arrest the group. All the men then ran away in all sort of directions. There was a previous occasion when some of them were arrested for not standing at the right spot designated by the City Council.

The police then pursued some of the fleeing men and cornered the client. One police officer then shot him in the leg. His femur was shattered to the extent that the doctors amputated his right leg.