Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-Building public confidence in the judiciary through multi-stakeholder participation is essential for any democratic society as it promotes unity, peace, economic development and social justice, Chief Justice Luke Malaba has said.
He said this while officiating at the ceremony to mark the official opening of the 2025 Legal Year at the Bulawayo High Court on Monday.
It is the first time the main ceremony has been held in the country’s second-largest city as the Judicial Service Commission moves to comply with the Constitutional requirement and the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 to devolve and decentralise public services.
“The judiciary relies on cooperation and efficient performance of functions by all stakeholders to effectively fulfil its role as the guardian of the Constitution.
“In 2025, the focus will be on the strengthening of multi-stakeholder participation in the administration of justice,” said Malaba.
He said the theme for the 2025 Legal Year, “Building Public Confidence in the Judiciary Through Multi-Stakeholder Participation,” highlights the importance of cooperation and collaboration among the judiciary, state actors, private entities, and ordinary citizens in promoting constitutionalism and the rule of law.
“By working together, the nation can achieve unity, peace, economic development, and social justice. The mutual benefit of abiding by constitutionalism must be appreciated, and all stakeholders must be aware of their roles in upholding the Constitution,” he said.
The celebration of the official opening of the legal year is an event which is used to emphasise and remind the judiciary that it must account for its performance, to the public from whom it derives its mandate.
“That requirement stems from the fact that the judicial office is a public trust. As a result, the operations of the Judiciary must at all times be openly debated for the benefit of the public.
“In addition, the ceremony reaffirms the constitutionally mandated relationship which exists between the judiciary and all stakeholders in the justice delivery system.
“The occasion therefore provides an opportunity for the Commission to address the concerns which the public may have regarding the administration of justice and to outline measures through which such challenges may be addressed in order to enhance the efficiency of the administration of justice,” said Malaba.
He also said unity of purpose between and amongst the judiciary and its stakeholders is critical if the courts are to fulfil their Constitutional mandates “The multi-stakeholder collaboration will be particularly heightened in 2025 because the Commission is poised to direct energy towards the reinforcement of positive and effectual relations between and amongst all stakeholders in the justice delivery system,” he said.
Malaba also said the Judiciary is cognisant of the fact that courts cannot build public confidence and trust in isolation.
“It can only do so and achieve the delivery of quality justice by collaborating and working together with other stakeholders in the justice delivery system,” he said.
Malaba pointed out that it is the Judicial Commission’s responsibility to put in place policies and measures which ensure that the courts are both independent in the making of decisions and that they account to the public for the decisions they make.
“In an endeavour to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice delivery system the Commission deliberately designed measures aimed at achieving the expeditious adjudication and finalisation of matters at all levels of the hierarchy of the courts.
“These initiatives include strict monitoring of the performance of each court and every judicial officer in such a court through the Commission’s Performance Management System.
Malaba also said the establishment of the Judicial Training Institute of Zimbabwe created a platform for a well-coordinated training regime for all judicial and non-judicial members of the Judicial Service.
“The Commission has repeatedly stated that access to justice is the cornerstone of any justice delivery system which answers to the needs of the people. It has ensured that vulnerable members of the population such as the elderly, women, children and people with disabilities are able to access judicial remedies and vindicate their rights through the courts,” he said.
He said the Commission continues to facilitate such access through the establishment of courts in areas previously marginalised in relation to court facilities.
“In that regard, High Court stations have been opened to decentralise the operations of the High Court. In equal measure, numerous resident magisterial court stations and periodic court stations have been established in an effort to bring justice closer to the people.
“In the meantime, I wish to add that during the year under review, access to justice was enhanced through the recruitment of more judges of the superior courts, magistrates, registrars and other members of the support staff.
Malaba commended the City of Bulawayo for its collaborative approach to the justice system by availing two stands for the construction of Magistrates courts at Emganwini and Cowdry Park.
He said the Commission has made significant progress and has commenced the construction of the courthouse at Cowdry Park.
“This facility will house both the Provincial Court and the Regional Court, significantly enhancing access to justice for the local communities,” he said.
New Ziana