Will Continue to Enhance Transparency and Accountability: Chief Justice

Arusha, March 2nd, 2024

The Chief Justice of the Tanzanian High Court and Commissioner of the Judiciary Service Commission,  Mustapher Siyani, has stated that the court will continue to strengthen transparency and accountability in its service delivery.

Closing a training session aimed at enhancing the capacity of trainers for the Ethics Committees of Regional and District Court Officers, who are also Chief Judges of the Tanzanian High Court, Justice Siyani emphasized that transparency and accountability are crucial in building public trust in the Judiciary.

"The public not only has the right to hear about actions taken against unethical conduct by Court Officials but also to see how those actions are being taken," said the Commissioner.

He expressed hope that the training provided to the Judges would catalyze increased accountability and performance of the Ethics Committees of Regional and District Court Officers.

Justice Siyani reminded the Judges of the importance of fostering and upholding the ethics of Court Officials and other Court employees, as judicial work must be conducted with integrity.

"Ethics for Court Officials are the source of justice's prosperity; integrity for Judges and Magistrates breeds trust in the citizens. There is no justice without trust, and no trust without integrity," he stated.

He highlighted that Ethics Committees were established to ensure that Court Officials fulfill their duties with integrity, and if these committees fail to function properly, the community will lose trust in the Judiciary.

Furthermore, he warned that a lack of trust in the Court would undermine the credibility of its judgments, leading citizens to disregard the importance of using the Court as the official institution entrusted with the authority to administer justice.

The Judges were urged to provide full cooperation to the Ethics Committees when carrying out their duties, as failing to fulfill their responsibilities within the set timeframe could hinder the committees from overseeing the ethics of Court Officials effectively.

The Judiciary Service Commission organized a two-day training session for Chief Judges of the Tanzanian High Court from various regions across the country with the aim of equipping them to deliver training of equal standard to Members of the Ethics Committees of Regional and District Court Officers in all regions nationwide.

The Judiciary Service Commission is a constitutional body tasked with overseeing the operation of the Tanzanian Court system.

One of its responsibilities is to supervise the ethics of Court Officials to ensure that the Judiciary fulfills its primary and constitutional duty of dispensing justice to the citizens.