Justice Malaba officially sworn in as Chief Justice

Justice Luke Malaba has been officially sworn in as the new Chief Justice by President Robert Mugabe at State House today.

Justice Malaba becomes the first Chief Justice to be sworn in under the new constitution of Zimbabwe which states that the Chief Justice is selected through public interviews and appointed by the President.

The interviews were held on the 12th of December by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the President had to select new Chief Justice from the three shortlisted candidates namely Justice Rita Makarau, Justice Paddington Garwe and the newly appointed Chief Justice Malaba.

Justice Malaba scored 91 percent, Justice Makarau 90 percent while Justice Garwe got 52 percent.

The Chief Justice designate Malaba who is 65 years old, has held letters of law for 39 years, practised law for 30 years and a registered legal practitioner for 21 years.

He was born in Plumtree on May 15, 1951 and did his secondary school at Empandeni between 1967 and 1970 before proceeding to St Ignatious College.

Chief Justice Malaba got his law degrees in 1974 from the University of Warwick (LLB. Honours) and in 1982 from the University of Zimbabwe (LL.B).