News / National
Mugabe appoints judges
04 May 2012 at 00:52hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mugabe has appointed Justice Anne-Mary Gowora and Advocate Happias Zhou judges of the Supreme Court and High Court respectively.
Mugabe made the appointments in terms of Section 84 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The appointments were done following consultation with the Judicial Service Commission as prescribed by the law.
Justices Gowora and Zhou were sworn in at State House at a function witnessed by Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Judicial Service Commission secretary and Supreme Court judge Rita Makarau among other commission officials.
Prior to his appointment, Adv Zhou was in private practice based at the Advocates' Chambers in Harare while Justice Gowora was serving as an acting judge of the Supreme Court.
Judge Yunus Omerjee was supposed to have also been sworn yesterday as a Supreme Court judge, but he is out of the country.
Minister Chinamasa said Justice Omerjee remains an acting Judge of the Supreme Court until President Mugabe swears him in at a later date.
Minister Chinamasa said a process to identify talented lawyers willing to become judges was underway.
He said poor conditions of service were, however, affecting the recruitment of judges.
Minister Chinamasa vowed to weed out corruption in the country's justice delivery system.
He said the system was heavily compromised by difficulties caused by illegal Western sanctions.
"All key players in the justice delivery system are involved in malpractices and corruption.
"I am talking about the police officers, prison officers, magistrates, private lawyers, accused persons and relatives of accused persons.
"We have to tackle it in a collective manner," Minister Chinamasa said.
He said times of denying the existence of corruption in the judicial system were over as Government moved in to arrest the vice.
On the appointment of Justices Gowora and Zhou, Minister Chinamasa said everything was done above board.
"We only came here to formalise their appointments from the Judicial Service Commission. These are the people who know the competencies of these persons.
"The law provides that we cannot appoint unless we consult the JSC. The names of these judges did not come from me or the President, but the JSC.
"Appointments to the bench should not be politicised but should be by merit," he said.
Mugabe made the appointments in terms of Section 84 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The appointments were done following consultation with the Judicial Service Commission as prescribed by the law.
Justices Gowora and Zhou were sworn in at State House at a function witnessed by Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Judicial Service Commission secretary and Supreme Court judge Rita Makarau among other commission officials.
Prior to his appointment, Adv Zhou was in private practice based at the Advocates' Chambers in Harare while Justice Gowora was serving as an acting judge of the Supreme Court.
Judge Yunus Omerjee was supposed to have also been sworn yesterday as a Supreme Court judge, but he is out of the country.
Minister Chinamasa said Justice Omerjee remains an acting Judge of the Supreme Court until President Mugabe swears him in at a later date.
Minister Chinamasa said a process to identify talented lawyers willing to become judges was underway.
He said poor conditions of service were, however, affecting the recruitment of judges.
He said the system was heavily compromised by difficulties caused by illegal Western sanctions.
"All key players in the justice delivery system are involved in malpractices and corruption.
"I am talking about the police officers, prison officers, magistrates, private lawyers, accused persons and relatives of accused persons.
"We have to tackle it in a collective manner," Minister Chinamasa said.
He said times of denying the existence of corruption in the judicial system were over as Government moved in to arrest the vice.
On the appointment of Justices Gowora and Zhou, Minister Chinamasa said everything was done above board.
"We only came here to formalise their appointments from the Judicial Service Commission. These are the people who know the competencies of these persons.
"The law provides that we cannot appoint unless we consult the JSC. The names of these judges did not come from me or the President, but the JSC.
"Appointments to the bench should not be politicised but should be by merit," he said.
Source - TH
