Zimbabwe recalls retired judges

Zimbabwe recalls retired judges

JUSTICE Gubbay, the former Chief Justice was the first of white judges to be pushed out by President Mugabe's regime

By Agencies

UP TO four recently retired judges have been recalled to deal with a huge backlog of legal cases in Zimbabwe.

At least one white judge is among those being brought back to deal with challenges to election results and several corruption cases.

Several judges stepped down in recent years after President Robert Mugabe's government accused them of racism.

The judiciary repeatedly overruled the government over the seizure of white-owned farmland.

The Financial Gazette newspaper reports that Justices George Smith, Rogers Kola, Mohamed Adam and Nicholas McNally have been asked to return to work.

Senior legal practitioner Sternford Moyo told BBC News Online that Mr Smith and Mr Kosa were returning next week.

Mr McNally was on the Supreme Court which incensed the government by effectively declaring illegal Mr Mugabe's land reform programme.

The government accused the judges of being "colonial relics."

During a court hearing in November 2000, a group of ruling party militants stormed the Supreme Court, while police watched.

The government said it could no long guarantee Chief Justice Gubbay's security and he resigned shortly afterwards.

"Serious challenges to the independence of the judiciary still remain in Zimbabwe," Mr Moyo said.

As well as those who have resigned under government pressure, other judges have stepped down for financial reasons.

The High Court is currently operating at half-strength, said Mr Moyo, a former president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe.

As a result, the legal system is experiencing huge delays.

"It can take more than a year for judges to hand down their decisions," he said.

With inflation running at more than 600%, this means that the value of settlements is greatly reduced by the time they are awarded.

The High Court is still hearing challenges to the results of the 2000 parliamentary elections. The next polls are due next year.
From the BBC
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