BULAWAYO provincial magistrate Elias Magate yesterday urged the public to trust the courts for legal remedy, but warned against raising bald accusations without supporting evidence as that put court officials in an invidious position.
BY CHARLES LAITON/DARLINGTON MWASHITA
In a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Magate said: “We do not condone corruption, we have zero tolerance, let’s get to hear about it. We do not want people whispering and people who come up with bald accusations without any evidence,” he said, adding that JSC had made the courts public friendly and citizens should take advantage of that.
“Gone are the days where people used to be afraid of the courts. The courts are for everybody and this includes our goal in fulfilling our current strategic plan which includes the promotion of greater access to justice with particular focus on the under-privileged and vulnerable in society,” Magate said.
The celebrations were held under the theme Transparency and Accountability to Enhance access to Justice and the Rule of Law.
To celebrate the occasion, the JSC conducted an open day at the High Court and Supreme Court during which the court officials interacted with the public in trying to help them understand the law and to explain how the same is applied in Zimbabwe.
The open day, according to JSC spokesperson Rumbidzai Takawira, was conducted simultaneously at all the commission’s 69 centres across the country.
“Open days for the Judiciary are an international best practice. Many jurisdictions use them as a tool to cultivate relationships between themselves and the public to measure the effectiveness of their operations and to get important feedback as well from the stakeholders, a hallmark of democratic institutions,” she said.
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Takawira added that this year’s theme required the commission to open itself up to the public and to public scrutiny and at the same time allow the public to appreciate how the country’s courts function in terms of the law.
JSC deputy secretary for legal services, Faith Mushure said previously the administration of the courts was fragmented where the Chief Justice was in charge of the Supreme Court, Judge President in charge of the High Court and the two would report to the Justice minister through the office of the registrar while the magistrates courts, were under the chief magistrate and would report to the same minister.
“The administration of the court was difficult because of this fragmentation so on June 10, 2010 we got the JSC in its current form which is a unitary JSC that we are celebrating here today. It is a day we recognise as a day that strengthens the independence of the Judiciary here in Zimbabwe and it was recognition of the doctrine of separation of powers. It is a day that we are really excited about,” Mushure said.
Mushure said during the same period, the commission expanded courts by opening the High Court in Mutare and Masvingo as well as building several magistrates’ courts across the country.
