Tanzania, March 20 -- Dar es Salaam. Retired High Court judge Julie Manning, the first Tanzanian woman to hold the position, has died at the age of 87.

According to the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), Judge Manning passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Hitech Sai Health Centre in Upanga, Dar es Salaam, where she had been receiving treatment.

Family members are receiving mourners at her Oyster Bay residence in Kinondoni, as funeral arrangements continue.

Trailblazer in legal profession

Judge Manning is remembered as a pioneer who broke gender barriers in Tanzania's legal profession and across East Africa.

Her academic journey began at Tabora Girls' School before she made history in 1961 when she joined the Faculty of Law at the Univ...