Justice dept sets up unit

THE Department of Justice and Attorney General will be setting up a Secretariat for the Judicial and Legal Services Commission to look after the affairs of judges and magistrates, says Attorney-General Dr Eric Kwa.
The commission is a constitutional office in the Department of Justice that appoints and disciplines judges and magistrates.
Dr Kwa told The National yesterday that since the appointment of Bryan Kramer as Justice Minister, the department had been tasked to review the processes of appointing and renewing of contract for judges, magistrates, plus guidelines on discipline. “These things have never being done before – just ad hoc” he said.
“We now have created the secretariat, of eight people (officers) who will report directly to the minister who is the chairman.
“In terms of judges’ appointment, complaints about the judges and the magistrates, the appointment of public prosecutor, public solicitor, they can be dealt with by the commission through that secretariat that we are now setting up.
“Hopefully, before the end of the year we should have a full functioning secretariat that will be able to look after the affairs of the judges.”