JUDGES of the High Court say they are concerned with some of the operational aspects of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) since its appointment.
by FELUNA NLEYA
In a final draft letter addressed to Judge President George Chiweshe in a response to allegations of laziness raised by Chief Justice, Godfrey Chidyausiku recently, the judges said: “The judges have noted what the Honourable Chief Justice listed as his achievements in the judiciary, for example, his role in the creation of the Judicial Service Commission and the appointment of what he terms an outstanding team to run it, and the procurement of certain benefits for some judges.”
The judges said without taking anything from the Chief Justice, they had grave concerns on some operational aspects of the JSC.
“For example, the Registrar of the High Court and his support staff are not answerable to the High Court. Information and statistics about the judges’ work are sometimes procured for use and publication without the judges’ input and without affording them the chance to interrogate them,” the judges wrote.
They said some judges were now clocking close to 10 years without their conditions of service being fulfilled “and it is felt that there can be no justification for such a situation”.
The judges have been at war with Chidyausiku since the opening of the legal year when he slammed most of them for being “lazy” and sitting on cases.
