Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda says the Judiciary has marked a decisive turning point in reshaping the country’s justice system through delivery of fast, transparent and people-centred justice.
He was speaking in Blantyre yesterday when he unveiled a five-year Malawi Judiciary Strategic Plan and the Digitalisation Strategy designed to modernise the country’s courts.
The chief just ice said the development of the two ambitious documents would fundamentally reshape how justice is delivered across the country as the Judiciary enters a new era of reform.
Framed as decisive blueprints for transformation, Mzikamanda declared that the two documents would modernise the courts, dismantle systemic delays and guarantee justice that is faster, transparent and truly centred on the needs of the people.
The documents were developed with support from the European Union (EU) through the Chilungamo II Programme.
“They are a road map or a blueprint that will align our work with the objectives and the mandate that we are here for as a Judiciary,” Mzikamanda said.
He said the digitalisation strategy would help in reducing backlog and delays because some challenges they currently face within the system include missing of documents or files.
“But with the digitalisation, we will minimise the missing of documents and files but also speed up the processing of documents… In other words, transparency and accountability are fully embedded in the strategic plan,” he said.
In his speech, EU Ambassador Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi said they were proud to have described the documents as “quite seminal” for the Judiciary as they boldly seek to serve people better.
“Looking at the resources and efforts that have gone into developing these documents, it is my hope that they will serves as a clear roadmap in addressing some of the challenges in accessing justice in Malawian courts,” said Gaztelumendi in a video conference speech from Lilongwe.
The ambassador also hailed the judiciary for its deliberate effort to analyse past performance and appreciate areas that remain a challenge in accessing justice.
Speaking on behalf of the Judiciary Digitalisation Committee, Justice Fiona Mwale said the Judiciary was continuously endeavouring to bring the courts closer to the people to serve them better.
She said: “In recent years, judiciaries across the globe have increasingly recognised technology not merely as an accessory, but as an essential facilitator of timely, transparent, and accessible justice,” said Mwale.
