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among other things to deliver judgments within 90 days from the date such rulings are reserved.
At the same function held in Harare recently, JSC also launched the strategic plan document outlining the commission’s mission and vision in Zimbabwe.

This followed reports reaching Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa and senior officers of the commission that judges were delaying releasing judgments.
Some cases were going for up to six years without judgments passed.
Last Wednesday, the JSC launched the code of ethics, which seeks to address all the challenges and loopholes in the justice delivery system.

Section 19 (1) of the code states: “Where a judgment is reserved to be delivered on notice, the judicial officer shall use his or her best efforts to ensure that such judgment is delivered within the ninety (90) days and except in unusual and exceptional circumstances. No judgment shall be delivered later than one hundred and eighty (180) days from the date when it is reserved . . . ”
Failure by the judicial officers to meet the deadlines without justification or any breach of the sections of the code will result in disciplinary action being taken.

“Subject to the Constitution and any other enactment, if, in the opinion of the Chief Justice, a judicial officer has conducted himself or herself in a manner that appears to violate any provision of this Code, the Chief Justice shall appoint a disciplinary committee, which shall investigate the acts or omissions allegedly constituting the violation and submit its findings and the recommendations for consideration of the Chief Justice,” read the section.
Recommendations from the committee are sent to the Chief Justice within 90 days from the date when the committee is constituted.

Notwithstanding the recommendations, the Chief Justice uses his discretion on the final decision and penalty to impose on the judicial officer.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, said the operationalisation of the Judicial Service Act opened up for the finalisation of the code.
“The coming into operation of the Judicial Service Act provided the golden opportunity for the finalisation of the code of ethics, as it provided for the enactment of codes of ethics and codes of conduct by the JSC,” he said.

Minister Chinamasa hailed the JSC for coming up with the strategic plan and code of ethics.
“I commend the commission for coming up with a strategic plan — a fine document that lays the path to be travelled if the commission is to fulfil its mandate.
“To all of us the plan should serve as a beacon pointing the way to achieving professionalism, integrity, impartiality, objectivity and above all judicial efficiency and independence,” he said.

Both the Chief Justice and the Minister hailed the Danish Embassy for funding the JSC programmes including the strategic plan. The two lauded the embassy for donating 11 vehicles, computers at all magistrates’ courts countrywide and other assistance rendered to the delivery of justice.