Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni
{{short description|Mosotho lawyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni
| office1 = Justice on the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
| term_start1 = 2006
| term_end1 = 2010
| office2 = Justice in the High Court of Lesotho
| term_start2 = ?
| term_end2 = ?
| office3 = Crown Counsel in Lesotho
| term_start3 = 1970
| term_end3 = ?
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|12|08}}
| birth_place = Hlotse, Basutoland (present-day Lesotho)
| death_date ={{death year|2024}}
| death_place =
| education = University of Lesotho, University of Edinburgh
}}
Kellelo Justina Mafoso-Guni (December{{nbsp}}8, 1945{{snd}}June 5, 2024)[https://www.lena.gov.ls/justice-guni-laid-to-rest/ Lesotho News Agency, Justice Guni Laid to rest, article dated June 21, 2024] was 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).[https://www.africanwomeninlaw.com/international-court-judges African Women In Law website, African Women and International Courts]{{cite web|url=http://www.pict-pcti.org/courts/ACHPR_judg_bio.html|title=ACHPR: African Court Of Human And Peoples' Rights|publisher=Project on International Courts and Tribunals|accessdate=7 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716142926/http://www.pict-pcti.org/courts/ACHPR_judg_bio.html|archive-date=16 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.african-court.org/en/index.php/30-profiles-of-former-judges/109-profiles-of-former-judges|title=Profiles of Former Judges|publisher=African Court on Human and People's Rights}} She became the first female lawyer in Lesotho.{{Cite book |last=Baetens |first=Freya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K5cMEAAAQBAJ |title=Identity and Diversity on the International Bench: Who is the Judge? |date=2020-12-10 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-264375-9 |language=en}}
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. She returned to Africa and was appointed magistrate in Zimbabwe on 28 September 1980, the first woman appointed to the bench.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.co.zw/independence-supplement-independence-gave-justice-to-all/|title=Independence gave justice to all|date=18 April 2015|accessdate=14 September 2017|work=The Herald}} She served there for twelve years. Other sources have erroneously stated that Mavis Gibson was the first female judge in Zimbabwe's history.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QuY_AQAAIAAJ|title=Legal Forum|date=1997|publisher=Legal Resources Foundation|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=znAvAQAAIAAJ|title=Independent Zimbabwe|date=1985|publisher=Department of Information, Government of Zimbabwe|language=en}} While Gibson did serve as a judge in Zimbabwe, she was actually the High Court of Namibia's first female judge.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QuY_AQAAIAAJ|title=Legal Forum|date=1997|publisher=Legal Resources Foundation|language=en}}
Mafoso-Guni returned to Lesotho and was appointed to the High Court of Lesotho, again as the first female judge.{{cite book|page=54|title=Black Women and International Law: Deliberate Interactions, Movements and Actions|first=Jeremy I.|last=Levitt|year=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781316298404|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=emwaCAAAQBAJ}} 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, one of two women alongside Sophia Akuffo.
She died on June 5, 2024.{{Cite web |title=Justice Guni mourned - ThePost |url=https://www.diaspora.thepost.co.ls/2024/06/24/justice-guni-mourned/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-12 |title=Judiciary Pays Tribute to First Female Judge |url=https://www.lena.gov.ls/judiciary-pays-tribute-to-first-female-judge/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Lesotho News Agency |language=en-US}}
Publications
- {{cite journal|first=Kelello|last=Guni|year=1990|title=The Problem of Baby-Dumping in Zimbabwe|publisher=University of Oslo, Institute of Women's Law|journal=Working Paper|volume=26}}
- {{cite book|title=Report on Parliamentarians Workshop held on 16th November, 1994 : Maseru Sun Cabanas|first=Kelello|last=Mafoso-Guni|year=1994|publisher=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
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Category:Judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
Category:National University of Lesotho alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:21st-century women judges
Category:People from Leribe District
Category:Lesotho judges of international courts and tribunals