Tanzanian Vice-President Philip Mpango has urged African judiciaries to restore peoples’ trust by working hard to find a cure to what are the strongest factors and concerns that diminish their trust.
Mpango told the 5th African Union Judicial Dialogue in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam on Thursday that for people to have confidence in the judiciary, justice must not only be done for them, but must also be seen to be done.
“And for justice to be seen to be done the independence and imparity of the judiciary must be guaranteed,” he told his audience of eminent lawyers, judges, advocates and magistrates from across the African continent.
Another priority area of building trust is tackling corruption head on, Mpango said, adding that corruption undermines public confidence not only in African judiciaries but also in governments.
Harnessing the use ICT in court proceedings and other functions also has great potential in building trust in African judiciaries, he said, He urged the judiciary to expedite the use of technology in preparation and filing of court documents, conducting hearings through videoconferencing, and accessing of court documents.
“I believe the judiciary may win the confidence of the people by increasing its transparency and accessibility,” Mpango said. Enditem
