Language

Namibia

Constitution of the Republic of Namibia

CHAPTER 3
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Article 11
Arrest and Detention

(2) No persons who are arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed promptly in a language they understand of the grounds for such arrest.

Criminal Procedure Act, 2004

CHAPTER 28
CONDUCT OF PROCEEDINGS

Oath, affirmation or admonition may be administered by or through an interpreter or intermediary

186. Where the person concerned is to give his or her evidence through an interpreter or an intermediary appointed under section 193(1), the oath, affirmation or admonition under section 184 or 185 must be administered by the presiding magistrate or, in the case of the High Court, by the presiding judge or the registrar through the interpreter or intermediary or by the interpreter in the presence or under the eyes of the presiding magistrate or, in the case of the High Court, the presiding judge.

Rome Statute

Article 50 Official and working languages

1. The official languages of the Court shall be Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The judgements of the Court, as well as other decisions resolving fundamental issues before the Court, shall be published in the official languages. The Presidency shall, in accordance with the criteria established by the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, determine which decisions may be considered as resolving fundamental issues for the purposes of this paragraph.

2. The working languages of the Court shall be English and French. The Rules of Procedure and Evidence shall determine the cases in which other official languages may be used as working languages.

3. At the request of any party to a proceeding or a State allowed to intervene in a proceeding, the Court shall authorize a language other than English or French to be used by such a party or State, provided that the Court considers such authorization to be adequately justified.

Article 55 Rights of persons during an investigation

2. Where there are grounds to believe that a person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court and that person is about to be questioned either by the Prosecutor, or by national authorities pursuant to a request made under Part 9, that person shall also have the following rights of which he or she shall be informed prior to being questioned:

(c) To have legal assistance of the person's choosing, or, if the person does not have legal assistance, to have legal assistance assigned to him or her, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by the person in any such case if the person does not have sufficient means to pay for it; and

Article 87 Requests for cooperation: general provisions

2. Requests for cooperation and any documents supporting the request shall either be in or be accompanied by a translation into an official language of the requested State or one of the working languages of the Court, in accordance with the choice made by that State upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Subsequent changes to this choice shall be made in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.