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JSC to interview 46 lawyers for 6 judge post vacancies

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THE Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) will have a mammoth task in interviewing 46 top lawyers and serving labour or administrative court judges

THE Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) will have a mammoth task in interviewing 46 top lawyers and serving labour or administrative court judges who have been nominated for the six vacancies at the High Court.

PAIDAMOYO MUZULU SENIOR REPORTER

JSC acting secretary-general Justice Rita Makarau yesterday released the full list of nominees who would attend public interviews at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harare on October 28.

Notable candidates on the list include three Justices, Bridgette Tapiwa Chivizhe, Evangelista Kabasa and Custom Kachambwa.

Recently-appointed Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission executive secretary Helena Jester Charewa is also on the list.

Other notable candidates include seasoned lawyers at the Bar Erik William Wallace Morris, former Reserve Bank lawyer Tawanda Chitapi, labour lawyer Joel Mambara, Frederick Gijima, Ticharwa Garabga, Tapiwa Muchinerepi and human rights lawyer Teresa Pearl Mugadza.

The interviews will be the second to be held in public after the adoption of the new Constitution in May 2013.

The Constitution stipulates that all judges are now supposed to be publicly nominated and interviewed and the President will be asked to appoint from a list of the successful.

Early this year, the JSC interviewed 10 High Court judges who had either applied or nominated to fill three vacancies at the Supreme Court which also acts as the Constitutional Court bench.

In the old order, Mugabe used to appoint judges in consultation with the JSC which meant the process was not public.

Mugabe had lots of leeway to second his own preferences if he so wished.

The appointment of six new judges was expected to reduce the backlog of cases at the High Court and increase the dispensing of justice.

Many cases at the High Court have taken an average of between two to three years to complete form the date of first hearing.