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Context-Sensitive Inquiry in Comparative Judicial Research: Lessons From the Namibian Judiciary

University of Vermont

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pvondoep{at}uvm.edu.

	Abstract

Research on the behavior of the Namibian judiciary highlights the importance of context-sensitivity in comparative courts research. Drawing from strategic understandings of judicial behavior, the analysis examines the extent to which political influences are affecting the behavior of judges in Namibia. The findings indicate that, for the most part, Namibia’s judges have exercised high levels of independence in their decision making. Yet deference to other branches has been apparent among certain expatriate judges who have faced unique vulnerabilities in the Namibian political system. Context sensitivity proved critical to the study, as it enabled more effective operationalization of concepts and generation of variables to test existing theory. Beyond this, such awareness enhanced the ability to interpret the findings about judicial behavior in Namibia and generate new insights to inform inquiry.

First published on November 27, 2007, doi:10.1177/0010414007308018

Comparative Political Studies 2008;41:1515.

A more recent version of this article appeared on November 1, 2008


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