CHIEF magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe yesterday said the public had a right to demand transparency from magistrates who are obligated to lead morally upright lives due to the nature of their work.
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Speaking at the swearing-in of Elijah Sibanda into the magisterial office at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, Guvamombe said magistrates should use their power in a responsible manner, while exercising fairness.
The life of a magistrate, Guvamombe said, should be above board.
“It is a calling reserved for those people who live beyond reproach. The oath which you take as a magistrate must never be viewed lightly. It is the promise of your fidelity to the principles of justice to the public,” he said. “The public has a right to and will justifiably subject your work to intense scrutiny, demand transparency and hold you accountable for all that may arise from your judgments.”
Guvamombe said magistrates had a responsibility to live with honour and not associate with “dubious characters” and must shun “shady places of entertainment”.
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