Chief Justice Luke Malaba will officially step down from office on 15 May 2026, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has announced, bringing to an end more than four decades of service in Zimbabwe’s justice system.
In a statement released on Saturday, the JSC said Justice Malaba’s final working day will be the night of 14 May, after which he will retire in line with constitutional provisions. The commission revealed that a series of events have been planned to honour his long judicial career.
According to the JSC, a special sitting of the court will be held on 14 May in recognition of Justice Malaba’s service. This will be followed by a formal dinner to celebrate his contribution to the judiciary, with invitations expected to be extended to members of the Executive, Legislature and other key justice sector institutions, as well as regional and international judicial colleagues.
Justice Malaba’s retirement follows Section 186(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which requires judges to retire upon reaching the age of 70 unless they choose, before attaining that age, to extend their term by a maximum of five years. Five years ago, Justice Malaba exercised this option and remained in office.
The JSC also dismissed reports suggesting that the Chief Justice was supposed to go on pre-retirement leave and had declined to do so. The commission said such claims were misleading and incorrect.
“There is no legal requirement for the Chief Justice to proceed on pre-retirement leave,” the JSC said, adding that taking leave is optional and not compulsory. It further stated that all procedures surrounding the transition are clearly outlined in law and will be followed accordingly.
Justice Malaba has served as Chief Justice since March 2017 and is the head of the Judiciary, Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission and Council of the Judicial College. Before that, he was Zimbabwe’s first Deputy Chief Justice from 2008 to 2017.
Over his career, he has worked as a prosecutor, magistrate, High Court judge, Judge of Appeal and Judge of the COMESA Court of Justice. The JSC credited him with championing access to justice, overseeing the construction of new courthouses, simplifying court procedures and driving the digitisation of Zimbabwe’s courts through the Integrated Electronic Case Management System.
Under his leadership, the final phase of court digitisation was rolled out to magistrates’ courts in 2025.
Justice Malaba is also the current President of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa, a role he will hold until 2026.
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