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Zimbabwe’s high court rules against Chief Justice’s term extension

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The Zimbabwe High Court has ruled that the country’s Chief Justice Luke Malaba ceased to be a judge and Chief Justice at midnight on 15 May 2021 when he turned 70 – the automatic age of retirement according to the country’s constitution.

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa had earlier in the week extended the tenure of the Chief Justice by five years after amending the constitution.

But the move was quickly challenged in court by lawyers and some in the opposition.

Discussion on controversial amendment of Zimbabwe’s constitution:

The lawyers argued Malaba could not benefit from the term limit extension as introduced by an amendment of Section 186 of the Constitution since he was an office bearer when the amendment was done.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is yet to respond to the judgement.

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