Prof Dr Manfred O Hinz

University Studies:
1955 to 1959: Law and Philosophy at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz

First State Examination in Law:
11 November 1959 before the State Board of Examiners for Law Examinations at Mainz

Articled Clerk:
Oberlandesgericht <High Court> of Koblenz, December 1959 to 1965

Second State Examination in Law:
11 February 1965 before the State Board of Examiners for Law Examinations at High Court of Koblenz

Doctors Degree:
23 July 1964 at the Faculty of Law and Economics of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz

Further University Studies:
African and Oriental Studies (Swahili, Twi, Hausa, Arabic) as a part-time student at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, during winter terms of 1961/62 and 1963/64, and summer term of 1964

Social Anthropology, Sociology, and African and Oriental Studies as a full-time student at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, from winter term of 1964/65 to winter term of 1967/68

Professor in the Faculty of Law

Office – YBlock, Room Y252

University of Namibia
Private Bag 13301
Windhoek

Office: 061-206-3701
Fax: 061-2063703

okavango@mweb.com.na

Manfred Hinz studied law and philosophy at the University of Mainz (Germany) where he graduated in 1960. He did his legal practitioner examination in 1964, the year in which he also obtained his doctor degree in law from the University of Mainz. After studying sociology, anthropology and African and Oriental languages at the same university, he was appointed full professor at the University of Bremen (Germany) in 1971. This appointment completed his studies for the higher doctorate (Habilitation).

In 1975, he founded the Centre for African Studies at the University of Bremen, from which he started co-operating first with SWAPO and later with the United Nations Institute for Namibia, Lusaka.

In 1989, he went to Namibia where he, after independence, assisted the Ministry of Justice. He was later seconded to the office of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Namibia to help build up the UNAM'S Faculty of Law. He joined the Faculty as professor with its inception and was Deputy Dean and Dean of the Faculty for several years.

When Prof WJ Kamba, the first incumbent of the UNECO Chair: Human Rights and Democracy in the Faculty of Law of the University of Namibia returned to his home country, Zimbabwe, Prof Hinz acted for the chair from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2001. Since 1 April 2001, Prof Hinz holds the chair in his own rights.

Manfred Hinz has published in his areas of specialisation, in particular in the field of legal and political anthropology, constitutional and international law.

Attach electronic copy of your resume/vita

Legal and political anthropology, constitutional and international law

2008

(2008a): Traditional governance and African customary law: Comparative observations from a Namibian perspective. In: N Horn; A Bösl, eds, Human rights and the rule of law in Namibia. Windhoek: Macmillan Namibia: 59ff

(2008b): (ed together with OC Ruppel) Biodiversity and the ancestors. Challenges to customary and environmental law. Case studies from Namibia. Windhoek: Namibia Scientific Society

(2008c): (together with OC Ruppel) Legal protection of biodiversity in Namibia. In: (2008c):3ff

(2008d): Findings and the way forward. In: (2008c):211ff

(2008e): Traditional courts in Namibia – part of the judiciary? In: N Horn; A Bösl, eds, The independence of the judiciary in Namibia. Windhoek: Macmillan Namibia:149ff

(2008f): Strengthening women’s rights: The need to address gabs between customary and statutory law. In: OC Ruppel, ed, Women and custom. Cultural practice versus gender equality? Windhoek: Macmillan Namibia:93ff

(2008g): Human rights between universalism and cultural relativism, or: The need for anthropological jurisprudence in the globalising world. Paper prepared for publication in African systems of human rights, ed by C Roschmann and T Bösl

(2008h): Political pluralism: Namibian observations. Paper prepared for publication of UCT conference on “Legal Pluralism”, Cape Town, 8-9 September 2008

(2008i): Traditional authorities: Custodians of customary law development. Paper prepared for publication of conference African Customary Law Revisited: The Role of Customary Law in the 21st Century, Gaborone, 23-24 October 2008

(2008k): Administrative justice and modern constitutionalism. Preliminary observations. Paper prepared for the conference on “Promoting Administrative Justice in Namibia”, Windhoek 18-21 August 2008

(2008l): Customary law in gender perspective – Introductory remarks. Paper prepared for the expert workshop “Women and customary law in Namibia”, Windhoek, 23 September 2008

(2008m): ed, Traditional and informal justice systems. Jurisprudential challenges. Windhoek: Namibia Scientific Society (in preparation)

2007

(2007a) Die Bestürzung angeschaut zu werden. Deutsches im afrikanischen Visier. <The dismay being observed. Africans explore the German.> In: Zeitschrift für Politik (54):49ff

(2007b) Nelson Mandela. In: P C Mayer-Tasch, ed, Philosophers of peace, Friedensdenker – Friedenskämpfer. München: Herbert Utz Verlag: 115ff

From 1989 to 2009, co-director of CASS (Centre for Applied Social Sciences, Windhoek) - being an Incorporated Association Not for Gain according to sec 21 of the Namibian Companies Act;

Since 1998, member of the Centre for Indigenous Law at the University of South Africa, UNISA.

Membership in scientific Societies:
International Association for Legal and Social Philosophies; German Society for Ethnology; Association of Africanists in Germany (founder-member, member of executive committee for several years); Bremer Afrika Archiv (founder-member, and member of executive committee thereof); American Anthropological Association; American Society for International Law; Anthropology Southern Africa; Commission on Folk Law and Legal Pluralism.

Further academic responsibilities:
From April 1993 up to date: University of Namibia to assist in the establishment of the Faculty of Law. Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law since July 1993; Acting Dean from 1 January 1994 to 31 July 1994 and from 1 July 1999 to the end of 1999. Dean of the Faculty of Law from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004; Head of Department: Public Law and Jurisprudence from January 2006 to 31 December 2007.

UNECO Chair: Human Rights and Democracy in the Faculty of Law of the University of Namibia, acting from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2001. Since 1 April 2001, Prof Hinz holds the chair in his own rights.

Since 2000: Member of staff, School of Political Studies, Munich, Germany and since 2002 regularly visiting scholar of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Academic Co-ordinator of the WTO UNAM Regional Trade Policy Course from 2004 to 2008.

Consulting editor of the (accredited) leading anthropological journal Anthropology Southern Africa and member of the editorial board of the Namibian Law Journal.

Co-ordinator of the Ascertainment of Customary Law Project of the Human Rights and Documentation Centre of the Faculty of Law of the University of Namibia.