Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni

Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni (born December 8, 1945 in Hlotse, Lesotho) is 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. University of Oslo, Institute of Women's Law. 26.
  • 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. "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. 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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