President Jakaya Kikwete receives a special award from Chief Justice,
Mohamed Chande Othman during a fare well ceremony which organised by
Tanzania Courts and lawyers to the president. PHOTO | STATE HOUSE
Dar es Salaam. Chief Justice Mohamed Chande
Othman yesterday showered praise on President Jakaya Kikwete for the
role his government has played in strengthening the Judiciary, saying
his contribution, in some aspects, has far exceeded that of his three
predecessors combined.
“There were only 35 judges of
the High Court when you took office in 2005. As we bid farewell to you
today, we have 85. During your tenure, you appointed 94 judges of the
High Court. More importantly, you have put emphasis on gender equality,
as of now 41 per cent of our judges are women,” he said.
“The
total number of judges of the Court of Appeal and the High Court you
appointed in the past ten years has exceeded the number of all judges
appointed by your three predecessors combined,” he said.
The
CJ made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday at a colourful ceremony
organised by the Judiciary Department to pay tribute and bid farewell to
President Kikwete whose second and final five-year term in office ends
in November.
“We must admit before you and before the
public that operations of the Judiciary in the past ten years have
improved to satisfactory standards,” said the CJ at the High Court
yesterday.
He said several steps and interventions by
the President to support and strengthen one of the key pillars of the
state has tremendously strengthened accessibility and timely
dispensation of justice.
According to the CJ, there
were 151 resident magistrates when Mr Kikwete assumed power in 2005, but
the number has increased to 670. “The Judicial Service Commission is in
the final touches to employ some 142 magistrates to reach 812 before
you leave office,” he said.
Mr Justice Chande also
thanked the President for respecting the principle of separation of
powers by ensuring the Judiciary operates independently, respecting the
Constitution and strengthening the rule of law.
The Judiciary boss also spoke of strides the Kikwete administration had achieved in improving the department’s budget.
He
said, for instance, the budget set aside for the Judiciary in 2006 was
Sh36.6 billion, but the amount kept on increasing to 89.9 billion in the
2015/16 financial year, reflecting an increase of 141 per cent in the
past ten years.
The establishment of the Judicial Fund,
according to the CJ, has helped in giving the department a predictable
budget that enabled it to plan and execute its programmes effectively
than in the past.
Yesterday, President Kikwete was
presented with a trophy in recognition of his role in enhancing
democracy and strengthening the rule of law, respecting and protecting
the Constitution and speeding up operations of the Judiciary.
In
his speech, President Kikwete urged judges, magistrates and other
judiciary officials to operate in a manner that would win public trust
in the department.
“Once people lose confidence in the
official organs directly responsible for the administration of justice
such as courts, they will resort to taking the law into their hands,” he
said.
He also asked the courts to prepare for election petitions that may arise after the October polls.
“This is election year and you must get ready to hear and determine election petitions that will come to you.
“There
is evidence that some cases filed in 2005 after my first election
hadn’t been determined until we went to the 2010 polls. It is my hope
that this time around things will be different,” said the President.
Yesterday’s
event was also attended by Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister Dr
Asha-Rose Migiro, judges of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, the
Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecution, retired judges and
other court officials.
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