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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CHIEF Justice Luke Malaba has warned corrupt officers within the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) and told them that such conduct will not be tolerated in the commission.
In his presentation on ‘Provision of quality justice through commitment to duty and service delivery’ during a two-day Registrars and Sheriffs conference held at a Nyanga hotel last week, Chief Justice Malaba also urged officers to adapt to new technologies that are being ushered in through the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS).
The IECMS is a game changer in the country’s justice delivery system as it seeks to reduce cases backlog, prevent the loss and physical damage of documents in case files, enhance information accessibility and modernise the sector’s operations.
Chief Justice Malaba said corruption has no place in the JSC and those who engage in unethical conduct are not only tarnishing their own image, but of the country’s entire justice delivery system.
“The time is up for free riders in the JSC. You get a car because all the other judges are getting cars. You get a salary or a laptop because everyone else is getting a salary or a laptop. That is unacceptable.
“Corruption in antithetical to what the JSC stands for. It is unacceptable. You make decisions that are influenced by other things other than what the rules say. We cannot play our part in attaining Vision 2030 for the country with corrupt officers.
“We are now in a global world where technology is playing a critical role in the handling or transfer of documents and information. As the JSC, we have the IECMS and we hope that everyone will take it up.
“We cannot afford to continue living in the past with some officers running up and down with documents that can easily be exchanged electronically,” said Chief Justice Malaba.
He said officers of the court need to be empathetic.
“We need officers that are empathetic. People don’t come to court for pleasure. It is because they want relief. Perhaps it is a woman who have had fights with her husband and you are there as a Registrar and you are frowning.
“You are adding to their misery. They actually start losing confidence in the whole justice delivery system even before they face the Judge because of your conduct. You would have damaged the reputation of the entire system,” he said.
Chief Justice Malaba reminded officers of the court on the need to be impartial.
“There is no need to look too much into the person. This is when you start seeing other things and forget your purpose and role. Why do you ask them where they come from? They will tell you I come from so and so village.
“That is when you discover they are from your village and at that moment you cease to be a Registrar. You are now a home boy or a home girl. You lose the impartiality. That is unacceptable,” said Chief Justice Malaba.
The conference was held under the theme “Improved quality of justice through commitment to duty and service delivery”.
Among other things, the conference sought to break down institutional barriers within the JSC.
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