Chief Justice Peter Shivute says a worrying trend of theft and fraud amongst employees within the Office of the Judiciary is intolerable. Last year alone, the human resources’ directorate within the Office of the Judiciary recorded charges of misconduct involving theft and fraud.
The cases were reported within the Directorate of Lower Courts. “The judiciary should at all times maintain very high standards of integrity and ethical behaviour. It is, therefore, disheartening that there was a very high incidence of misconduct cases reported last year in especially the Directorate: Lower Courts”, Shivute said yesterday during the official opening of the 2022 legal year. According to him, theft of public funds does not bode well for the public’s confidence in the judicial branch.
“To all judicial officers and support staff, I urge you to remain committed to the cause of justice. What we do and how well we do it means the difference between a functioning democracy and one where the public loses respect for the rule of law because of a dysfunctional legal system,” he stressed.