Performance management system for judges

MASERU – THE judiciary has begun the piloting of a performance management system for judicial officers.

Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane said this at the official opening of the High Court yesterday.

“The process of piloting the performance management system for judicial officers was initiated by the insatiable desire to provide excellent judicial services in line with their strategic goals,” Justice Sakoane said.

“We have set a target date to roll out the pilot (project) to judicial officers in Subordinate Courts on April 1, 2023,” he said.

Justice Sakoane said at the time the idea was introduced, judges immediately embraced it and expressed their willingness to account for their decisions whilst retaining their judicial independence.

He explained they have adopted a 90-day rule for delivery of written judgments and are equally clear on a minimum number of judgments each judge must deliver per quarter.

“In this way, we are assured of a minimum number of written judgments to expect from each judge per quarter,” he said

He said they have commenced quarterly reporting sessions where each judge accounts for their work.

In particular, Justice Sakoane said the focus is on the number of judgments delivered within and outside 90 days as well as the number of judgments reserved.

He said they are presently focusing on quantitative targets and will be graduating to qualitative targets once the system has outgrown the teething problems.

He said they are already seeing positive results and expect exponential increase in delivery of written judgments once the system is fully implemented.

“We hope this will help to answer litigants’ outcry about delayed justice as well as cases that go on appeal without written reasons,” he said.

However, the Chief Justice said he is not oblivious to the fact that this is something new to the judiciary, thus requiring patience and cultural change.

Besides cultural change, financial support from the government is indispensable to ensure provision of excellent judicial services, he said.

Justice Sakoane said failure to adequately support the judiciary is an affront to the constitution, and he hopes that the dire financial situation which the judiciary is presently experiencing will be seriously addressed sooner rather than later.

He said the judiciary has dependable development partners in the form of the EU and UNDP which was formed under the project of Emergency support for Judicial Assistance in the Kingdom of

Lesotho, of which the sole purpose was to offer financial support to trials of security personnel.

“The UNDP continues to pay the salary of Justice Charles Hungwe who is doing a sterling job,” he said.

He said the UNDP is not only paying for the judges’ salary but also supports the development of a strategic plan.

’Malimpho Majoro