adminOn behalf of the judiciary, Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba described the retired judge as a brilliant judicial officer who independently passed numerous important judgments without fear or favour.
Officiating at the opening of the 2012 legal year at the High Court in Harare yesterday, Justice Malaba said Rtd Justice Sandura would at any time be called to assist the bench for fixed periods during his retirement period.
“May I also take this opportunity on your (judiciary) behalf to pay tribute to the Honourable Mr Justice Wilson Sandura who retired from the Supreme Court bench on July 29, 2011,” he said.
“Although he may occasionally be called to serve on the High Court or Supreme Court bench for fixed periods of not more than four months, his retirement at the age of 70 marked the close of a long and brilliant judicial career of just over 28 years.”
Rtd Justice Sandura delivered several important judgments contained in the law reports and he sometimes passed dissenting judgments.
“It is a mark of judicial independence that Mr Justice Sandura like any other judge worth the honour bestowed on him or her by society, would not hesitate arriving at decisions contrary to that of the majority of his brother and sister judges,” said Justice Malaba.
“There are, however, many judgments of the Supreme Court in which Justice Sandura shared the unanimous view of the legal problems with his brother and sister judges.
“After a fair and objective assessment of the impact of Justice Sandura’s judicial career, it can only be said that he has contributed immensely to the development of our jurisprudence.” Justice Sandura’s judgments,
said Justice Malaba, were testimony to his fine qualities as a judge.
“They reveal lucid exposition of often complex legal questions by an application of an analytical mind conscious of the duty to do justice to all manner of man without fear or favour,” said Justice Malaba.
Online Reporter