26 Aug 2018

Public confidence in the judiciary can only be attained if the judiciary is responsive to the nation’s concerns, says Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane.

Officially opening the magistrate retreat workshop in Palapye recently, Chief Justice Rannowane said it was critical to orientate and sensitise judicial officers so that they do not swim from the deep end, and to avoid errors that could impact on public confidence in the institution and ruin people’s lives.

Justice Rannowane noted that the manner in which magistrates interacted, dealt with and attended to customers, be it litigants, witnesses, the public or attorneys portrayed either a positive or negative image for the judiciary.

He urged them  to endeavour at all times to put the organisation in good light.

He also urged magistrates to conduct their duties professionally and to whip each other into line for justice to prevail.

He also pleaded with them to cultivate a culture of disposing cases within the set time frames including delivery of judgements.

This, he said, would help to avoid a backlog as it would affect public confidence on them and ultimately investor confidence on the country.

He said the retreat was aimed at imbuing judicial officers with ethos, values and traditions of judicial office, adding that work ethics and code of conduct were important aspects to consider in delivering quality service.

“As an organisation we aspire to have adequate resources in terms of the structure, tools, procedures and people for the delivery of quality judicial services.

We strive to be a learning organisation that enhances staff competencies by building the necessary human resource capacities in both judicial and support functions as well as strengthening leadership involvement,” he said.

The retreat was also meant to introspect and see how the judicial remained relevant to the communities they served.

He said the introspection would enable magistrate to close the gaps by familiarising themselves with the relevant material to empower the judiciary to efficiently and effectively discharge their duties.

Deputy registrar and master of the High Court, Mr Takura Charumbira emphasised that the induction of new officers was crucial as it empowered, enriched and gave them the necessary aptitude, confidence and grounding to carry out their duties.

He said the retreat gave participants the opportunity to introspect, share experiences and coaching from distinguished resource persons who had been in the field for a much longer time.

“Although experience is necessary as it shapes how you react to situations, your deportation in and outside court is also key because the public looks up to you as the quintessence of high moral standards,” he said.

Mr Charumbira also said the retreat was a platform for cross-pollination of ideas, skills and good practices and to also unlearn sterile habits which were an anathema to excellence and public confidence in the judiciary.

Deputy director of the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP), Mr Western Manchwe said the retreat helped to acquire knowledge.

He noted that in the early years the magistracy was manned by experienced lawyers as compared to nowadays where young lawyers took up judicial responsibilities without relevant prior training.

He urged magistrates to conduct themselves in a good manner and have respect for the public and practitioners.

One of the magistrates, Justice Kaveri Kapeko encouraged judicial officers to serve the public with honesty and respect.

Justice Kapeko commended the  Chief Justice for the initiative as it helped them to express their feelings and share their experiences.ENDS