JSC resuscitates Judicial College

nyundo Daniel Nemukuyu  Senior Court Reporter
The Judicial Service Commission has resuscitated the Judicial College of Zimbabwe to improve on the quality of judgments by magistrates.
The college was shut down in 2008 after donor funding stopped. The college used to offer diplomas in law to trainee magistrates and prosecutors, but this time it will be offering refresher courses for magistrates.

In a statement, JSC secretary Justice Rita Makarau said the decision was made on Thursday last week and JSC deputy secretary Mr Rex Shana was re-assigned to head the college. Mr Shana would be replaced by chief registrar of the superior courts Mr Walter Chikwana in an acting capacity. The Herald understands that deputy chief magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi would eventually replace Mr Chikwana as the chief registrar.

Mr Shana was the principal of the college before it stopped operations seven years ago. “We can confirm that at its meeting of 24 July 2014, the board of the Judicial College unanimously agreed that the Judicial College be resuscitated with immediate effect,” said Justice Makarau. “While the resuscitation of the college has necessitated the re-deployment of Mr Rex Shana back to his position of Principal of the College, we see this not as a loss to the Judicial Service Commission where he was a very able Deputy Secretary, but as a gain to the entire justice delivery system.

“We have no doubt that under his leadership, the Judicial College of Zimbabwe will add value to the entire chain of justice delivery in Zimbabwe by co-ordinating and arranging the training needs of all the key players. We are confident that Mr Shana will come up with viable strategies that will restore the Judicial College to its days of glory.”

Justice Makarau said there was no donor funding as yet, but the JSC would strive to fund the college.

Lack of donor funding and failure by Treasury to fund JSC led to the closure of the institution.

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