Next week, sixty-six lawyers are expected to undergo a competency test, in addition to existing nomination procedures, before interviews for appointment as Supreme Court justices.
Eight more lawyers aspiring to fill one vacant position on the Administrative Tribunal bench will also write the aptitude test today.
Competence and conduct are equally important in determining whether an individual is suitable for the job of judge, and interviews can help refine selections. For appointment to the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, the record of a judge in the Supreme Court will be the main criterion. If they are able to maintain a good work rate and have very few judgment reversals when cases are appealed, they will have a chance.
But at the Supreme Court and Administrative Court levels, aspiring judges come from diverse backgrounds. They are all, of course, qualified and experienced legal practitioners, i.e. law graduates with a reasonable degree of practical experience. Some of them will have the functions of district judges and magistrates; Some will be specialist advocates in private practice dealing with points of law and court work; Some will be experienced lawyers, covering a wider range of legal work, but often at a more routine level.
Given a candidate’s previous work experience, it may be easy to determine whether he or she has the necessary skills and experience.
Sixty-six valid nominations were received and accepted as aspiring candidates seeking to join the seats of the Supreme Court and the Administrative Court.
The Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission, Mr Walter Chikwanha, confirmed the list in a statement.
“Nominated candidates are requested to attend the first phase of interviews on 8 April 2024 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare, at 0900 hours. Candidates are expected to bring their own laptops, those who do not bring laptops will not be permitted to enter the interview.
An HR consulting firm usually conducts behavioral tests for the SEC, as the Commission wants objectivity and professionalism in the entire process.
Test results are not disclosed to the public.
The importance of the tests is simply to show the type of person the JSC is meeting in interviews.
It reveals the aspiring judge’s decisiveness in cases and the candidate’s behavior.
There are no restrictions on what the committee interviewing candidates can do to obtain as much information as possible about the candidate.
Prominent candidates vying for the 10 vacant positions on the Supreme Court include veteran human rights activist Arnold Tsonga, Barrister David Ochieng, Barrister Choyce Damiso, Deputy Commissioner Nayson Chivayo, Wilbert Mandinde, Tinuvara Kudakwashe Hoffe, Hongwe Musindu Donhira and Chief Justice Faith Moshor. . Announce
