Chief Justice of Zimbabwe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chief Justice of Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|
| Mukuru wevatongi | |
 | |
since 27 March 2017 | |
| Style | Honourable |
| Appointer | President of Zimbabwe |
| Term length | No term limit; must retire at 70, unless allowed to continue to 75 by the President |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Zimbabwe |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Murray Bisset (Chief Justice of Southern Rhodesia) Sir John Fieldsend (Chief Justice of Zimbabwe) |
| Formation | 1927 (Southern Rhodesia) 18 April 1980 (Zimbabwe) |
| Deputy | Elizabeth Gwaunza |
The Chief Justice of Zimbabwe is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. As such, he is head of the Zimbabwe judiciary.
Per Section 168 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, the Chief Justice is assisted by a Deputy Chief Justice and two or more associate justices. The Chief Justice leads the business of the Supreme Court and presides over oral arguments. He is also the most senior of the three members of the Zimbabwe Court of Appeals. The Chief Justice administers the oath of office to the President of Zimbabwe. Like other Supreme Court justices, he is obliged to retire at 70, unless, before he attains that age, he elects to continue in office for an additional five years. After consulting with the Judicial Service Commission and submitting a medical report showing their mental and physical fitness, the Chief Justice's request to stay in office must still be approved by the President.[1]
Since the court was established in 1927, 14 men have served as Chief Justice. This includes eight chief justices during the Southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia periods. The first Chief Justice was Sir Murray Bisset. Since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, six men have served as Chief Justice. Of these six, three have been White and three Black. The current Chief Justice since 2017 is Luke Malaba.
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