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Chief Justice Luke Malaba

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
Chief Justice (CJ) Luke Malaba is next Monday expected to open the 2018 legal year, the first time he performs the honours as head of the judiciary.

He took over from the late former Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku last April.

Judicial Service Commission Secretary, Justice Rita Makarau said CJ Malaba is expected to outline the vision of the judiciary during the 2018 legal year and the achievements made by the judiciary in 2017.

“The legal year for 2018 opens on Monday 15th January. Chief Justice Luke Malaba will preside in Harare while Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza will be in Bulawayo. Judge President, Justice George Chiweshe will officially open the legal year in Masvingo,” said Justice Makarau.

Justice Malaba told journalists after being sworn in as the Chief Justice that the right of equality before the law was only possible if there was equal access to the justice delivery system.

“Everybody is equal before the law and everybody has a right to protection under the law,” he said. “We cannot talk about those rights if we delay in the delivery of justice and you can see this is going to be my focus.”

Last year when he was still the Deputy Chief Justice, CJ Malaba commended Bulawayo courts for working hard to clear a backlog of cases at both the High Court and the lower courts.

He said there was a need to increase the number of judges on the bench.

CJ Malaba said judges based in Bulawayo  were still battling to clear the backlog from 2015 notwithstanding the high clearance rate.

He also commended the Bulawayo Labour Court for a job well done saying the station received a total of 540 cases in 2016 made up of appeals, reviews and applications and a total of 628 matters were completed and the concluded cases included the 2015 backlog translating to a 116 percent clearance rate.

He explained that the clearance rate in some instances surpassed 100 percent because of the inclusion of cases from 2015 that spilled into 2016.

“The magistrate’s courts also performed very well with the western division receiving 735 matters and completing 754 cases. Their clearance rate was 102,5 percent. The Provincial Magistrates Courts received 22 325 matters and managed to complete 22 581 matters accounting for a 101 clearance rate,” said CJ Malaba.—@AuxiliaK