Opening
of
the
2026
Legal
Year
Introduction
Zimbabwe’s
justice
delivery
system
continues
to
operate
under
pressure
from
limited
resources,
uneven
access
and
the
demands
for
reform.
Courts
have
been
decentralised
to
bring
justice
closer
to
communities
yet
staffing
levels
remain
critically
low,
leaving
magistrates
and
judges
overstretched.
Case
backlogs
reflect
the
strain
on
a
system
expected
to
serve
over
16
million
citizens.
Against
this
backdrop,
Chief
Justice
Luke
Malaba
officially
opened
the
2026
legal
year
on
Monday
12
January.
This
annual
event
provides
the
Judiciary
with
an
opportunity
to
articulate
its
vision
for
the
administration
of
justice
and
to
engage
with
stakeholders
as
the
new
year
commences.
In
his
address
the
Chief
Justice
acknowledged
both
the
resilience
of
the
judiciary
and
the
urgent
need
for
reform,
highlighting
technology,
performance
management
and
institutional
renewal
as
key
pathways
to
strengthening
public
confidence
in
the
courts.
The
address
can
be
accessed
on
the
Veritas
website [link].
The
Theme
for
2026
The
theme
for
the
2026
Legal
Year
is:
“Using
Performance
Management
and
Technology
to
Ensure
Quality,
Inclusive
and
Sustainable
Judicial
Service.”
The
Chief
Justice
described
this
theme
as
a
“bridge”
between
the
Judiciary’s
constitutionally
based
vision
and
its
daily
operational
priorities.
He
said
that
judicial
trust
must
be
translated
into
demonstrable
performance
–
presumably
meaning
that
judicial
officers
must
earn
the
public’s
trust
through
performing
their
duties
competently
and
ethically.
He
added
that
modern
tools
must
be
used
ethically
to
uphold
the
rule
of
law.
The
2026–2030
Strategic
Plan
The
conclusion
of
the
2025
legal
year
marked
the
end
of
the
Judicial
Service
Commission’s
(JSC)
2021–2025
Strategic
Plan,
which
focused
on
decentralisation
of
courts
and
digitisation
of
processes
through
the
Integrated
Electronic
Case
Management
System
(IECMS).
During
the
opening
ceremony,
the
Chief
Justice
launched
a
new
Strategic
Plan
for
the
period
2026–2030.
This
new
roadmap,
according
to
the
Chief
Justice,
prioritises
quality
of
adjudication
and
court
administration,
expanded
access
to
justice
and
digital
transformation,
strengthening
customary
and
local
justice,
and
the
welfare,
wellness
and
security
of
judicial
officers
and
staff.
Performance
Management
and
Accountability
The
Chief
said
the
major
focus
for
2026
is
the
integration
of
the
Integrated
Results-Based
Management
(IRBM)
system,
linking
planning,
budgeting,
and
evaluation
to
clearly
defined
results.
This
follows
a
2025
monitoring
exercise
that
revealed
systemic
shortcomings,
including
unreliable
statistical
reporting
and
thousands
of
dormant
cases.
Under
Practice
Direction
No.
1
of
2025 [link],
the
Judiciary
dismissed
6,524
dormant
matters
in
the
High
Court
that
had
been
abandoned
by
litigants
or
legal
practitioners.
The
Chief
Justice
stressed
that
while
judicial
independence
remains
inviolable
under
Section
164
of
the
Constitution,
judicial
officers
must
also
be
held
accountable
for
administrative
efficiency,
including
the
timeliness
of
judgments.
Technology
and
Artificial
Intelligence
(AI)
The
Judiciary,
according
to
the
Chief
Justice,
is
now
in
“overdrive”
regarding
technology,
with
all
superior
courts
operating
paperless.
The
IECMS
continues
to
expand,
with
Phase
4.3
set
to
operationalise
the
system
in
magistrates’
courts
in
Mashonaland
East
and
Manicaland.
Its
rollout,
however,
has
not
been
without
challenges.
Many
litigants
and
legal
practitioners
initially
struggled
with
access
due
to
limited
digital
infrastructure,
connectivity
issues,
and
the
cost
of
adapting
to
new
systems.
Training
gaps
for
both
judicial
officers
and
court
users
slowed
adoption,
while
rural
courts
faced
particular
difficulties
in
implementing
the
technology.
The
JSC
has
begun
using
artificial
intelligence
for
recording
and
transcribing
court
proceedings,
and
policies
are
being
developed
to
regulate
its
further
use
and
guard
against
risks
such
as
algorithmic
bias.
To
support
these
reforms,
the
JSC
is
appointing
a
Deputy
Secretary
–
ICT,
Innovation
and
Corporate
Services.
Infrastructure
and
Staffing
Challenges
The
Chief
Justice
noted
that
Zimbabwe’s
judiciary
is
operating
with
only
80
judges
and
250
magistrates
to
serve
a
population
of
over
16
million.
He
said
this
was
“untenable,”
warning
that
decentralisation
of
courts
has
not
been
matched
by
adequate
deployment
of
judicial
officers
and
support
staff.
Despite
these
staff
shortages,
he
said,
case
backlogs
have
been
largely
contained,
though
at
great
strain
to
existing
personnel.
He
pointed
out
that
staffing
levels
must
increase
dramatically
to
keep
pace
with
the
growing
court
network.
Significant
infrastructure
progress
in
2025
included
the
commissioning
of
the
Mutawatawa
courthouse
in
April,
progress
on
the
Kwekwe
court
complex
which
will
house
the
sixth
seat
of
the
High
Court,
and
construction
at
Gwanda,
Cowdray
Park
and
Mabvuku-Tafara.
Court
Performance
in
2025
The
superior
courts
performed
well,
the
Chief
Justice
said,
and
the
overall
backlog
of
cases
was
reduced
by
20
per
cent
–
starting
2025
with
12 514
cases
and
closing
with
10 045.
On
the
other
hand,
the
magistrates
courts
backlog
in
civil
cases
increased
sharply
from
863
to
6 174
cases.
This
was
attributed
to
a
surge
in
summonses
from
local
authorities
and
poor
supervision
in
certain
regions.
Losses
to
the
Judiciary
The
Chief
Justice
noted
the
passing
of
several
distinguished
judicial
officers
in
2025.
These
included
Justice
Felicia
Chatukuta
of
the
Supreme
Court,
Justice
Mavis
Gibson,
Zimbabwe’s
first
black
female
High
Court
Judge,
Justice
Herbert
Mandeya,
retired
Senior
Judge
of
the
Administrative
Court,
and
Justice
Moses
Chinhengo,
former
High
Court
Judge
who
continued
to
serve
as
a
judge
in
Botswana,
Lesotho
and
Namibia
after
he
left
the
Bench
in
Zimbabwe. One
very
distinguished
former
judge
whose
passing
the
Chief
Justice
did
not
mention
was
Justice
George
Smith,
who
passed
away
on
the
21st
December
after
long
and
valued
service
in
the
highest
levels
of
Government
and
on
the
Bench.
Retirement
of
the
Chief
Justice
In
May
2026
Chief
Justice
Malaba
turns
75,
the
constitutional
retirement
age
for
judges.
His
impending
departure
adds
weight
to
his
remarks,
as
the
judiciary
prepares
for
leadership
transition
at
a
politically
sensitive
time.
Veritas
Comments
Access
to
justice
remains
a
concern.
Without
increased
staffing,
decentralisation
risks
becoming
symbolic
rather
than
substantive,
leaving
citizens
in
newly
established
courts
facing
delays
and
overstretched
services.
Digitisation
may
increase
efficiency,
but
it
requires
sustained
investment
in
infrastructure,
training,
and
public
awareness.
With
looming
constitutional
debates,
the
judiciary’s
role
in
safeguarding
constitutionalism
will
be
closely
scrutinised.
Performance
management
and
transparency
are
critical
to
restoring
trust
in
the
courts,
especially
amid
political
and
economic
uncertainty.
The
Chief
Justice’s
last
opening
speech
is
both
a
warning
and
a
roadmap.
It
is
a
warning
because
the
judiciary
cannot
continue
to
function
effectively
with
such
severe
staffing
shortages.
It
is
a
roadmap
because
digitisation
and
performance
management
provide
a
path
toward
sustainable
justice
delivery.
For
Parliament
and
Government,
the
Chief
Justice’s
message
is
clear:
invest
in
human
resources
for
the
judiciary,
align
decentralisation
with
staffing,
and
support
digital
reforms
with
adequate
funding.
Without
these,
constitutional
promises
of
access
to
justice
will
remain
aspirational.
Veritas
makes
every
effort
to
ensure
reliable
information,
but
cannot
take
legal
responsibility
for
information
supplied.
Post
published
in:
Featured