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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni (born December 8, 1945, in Hlotse, Basutoland) is a Mosotho lawyer, the first female lawyer in Lesotho, as well as a former justice of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and the High Court of Lesotho (where she was the first woman on the Court).[1]

Early life and education

Mafoso-Guni was born in Hlotse on December 8, 1945. She studied law at the University of Lesotho and the University of Edinburgh.[2] She became the first female lawyer in Lesotho.[3]

Career

Mafoso-Guni was appointed Crown Counsel in Lesotho in 1970. She then moved to the United Kingdom and worked in the civil serve for twelve years.[2] She returned to Africa and was appointed magistrate in Zimbabwe on 28 September 1980, the first woman appointed to the bench.[2][4] She served there for twelve years.[2] Other sources have erroneously stated that Mavis Gibson was the first female judge in Zimbabwe's history.[5][6] While Gibson did serve as a judge in Zimbabwe, she was actually the High Court of Namibia's first female judge.[7]

Mafoso-Guni returned to Lesotho and was appointed to the High Court of Lesotho, again as the first female judge.[2][8] In 2006, she was elected as one of the first judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights for a four-year term,[2][8] one of two women alongside Sophia Akuffo.

Publications

  • Guni, Kelello (1990). "The Problem of Baby-Dumping in Zimbabwe". Working Paper. 26. University of Oslo, Institute of Women's Law.
  • Mafoso-Guni, Kelello (1994). Report on Parliamentarians Workshop held on 16th November, 1994 : Maseru Sun Cabanas. FIDA.

Judicial writings

  • Ntsapo Petlane (Born Makunya) v Mathe Petlane & Another (Duly assisted). CIV/APN/476/9825. August 1999
  • R. Potoketsi v. Rex. CRI/A/22/98 . 15 February 1999
  • African Oxygen Ltd v. Stm Marketing & Agencies Ltd & Another. CIV/APN/191/99, CIV/APN/270/99. 7 April 2000
  • Ned Bank (Lesotho) Ltd v. Sotho Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd. CIV/T/450/99. 23 May 2000
  • Rex v. Lisebo Mokhoro. CRI/T/39/96. 24 November 2000.
  • Theresia Leoma v. Makhang Leoma. CIV/APN/465/99, CIV/APN/520/99. 8 August 2000

See also

References

  1. ^ "ACHPR: African Court Of Human And Peoples' Rights". Project on International Courts and Tribunals. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Profiles of Former Judges". African Court on Human and People's Rights.
  3. ^ Baetens, Freya (2020-12-10). Identity and Diversity on the International Bench: Who is the Judge?. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-264375-9.
  4. ^ "Independence gave justice to all". The Herald. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  5. ^ Legal Forum. Legal Resources Foundation. 1997.
  6. ^ Independent Zimbabwe. Department of Information, Government of Zimbabwe. 1985.
  7. ^ Legal Forum. Legal Resources Foundation. 1997.
  8. ^ a b Levitt, Jeremy I. (2015). Black Women and International Law: Deliberate Interactions, Movements and Actions. Cambridge University Press. p. 54. ISBN 9781316298404.
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