'Supreme Court might become irrelevant'

Legal experts on Friday warned that passing the Namibian Citizenship Amendment Bill into law would make the Supreme Court irrelevant.

The Namibian Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to deny citizenship to children born in Namibia to foreign parents who are ordinarily resident in the country, even though the Constitution grants such children automatic status. Legal Assistance Centre director Toni Hancox said if the bill is passed, it would mean parliament becomes supreme, and the Constitution and the Supreme Court become irrelevant. A professor in the University of Namibia's Law Faculty, Nico Horn, said the Supreme Court ruling in itself is binding on all other courts and all persons in Namibia unless it is reversed by the Supreme Court itself or it contradicts an act of parliament lawfully enacted.