adminMASVINGO Province will next year have a permanent High Court as part of the decentralisation of the justice delivery system, Judicial Service Commission (JSC) chairman Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has said.
Addressing judicial officers on Tuesday before the inspection of Masvingo Civil Court which is set to be upgraded to a High Court, Chief Justice Chidyausiku said while it is the JSC’s plan to have the High Court in all provinces, Masvingo has been taken as a priority given the number of high profile cases that happen in the province.
He said while the circuit sittings are being used in the province there is still a backlog as the six-week period is insufficient. Chief Justice Chidyausiku who was flanked by Judge President Justice George Chiweshe and JSC secretary Justice Rita Makarau said it has been realised that the four circuit sittings that the High Court holds are failing to clear the backlog given that one judge hears cases on a two-week period per circuit.
He said once the High Court is established in Masvingo, a lot of time and money will be saved as a few people will travel to Harare to have their cases tried.
“We have a programme to decentralise the activities of the High Court. Our plan is to establish the High Court in all provincial centres but we are starting with Masvingo because it is the busiest of them all, given the number of cases that need to be tried,” said Justice Chidyausiku.
He said it is expected that early next year there will be at least one resident High Court judge in Masvingo depending on the need and the number of cases.
He said he also inspected the Masvingo Magistrates Court but realised it will not be possible to turn it into a High Court, hence settling for the Masvingo Civil Court.
He said once there is a resident High Court in Masvingo, cases will be heard daily as is the situation in Bulawayo and Harare thus saving money and time for witnesses.
Chief Justice Chidyausiku cited Tanzania as an example where the High Court has been decentralised.
“Tanzania has devolved the courts in all provinces and thus bringing justice to the people,” he said.
Online Reporter