Luke Malaba

Luke Malaba (born 15 May 1951^[1]) is a Zimbabwean judge and Chief Justice of Zimbabwe. He was appointed Chief Justice by then-President Robert Mugabe on 27 March 2017. However, he had already been serving as acting Chief Justice since 1 March 2017, following Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku‘s retirement. Previously, he had served as Deputy Chief Justice.^[2]

Biography[]

Luke Malaba was born in Plumtree, Southern Rhodesia on 15 May 1951.^[3] He received his law degree from the University of Warwick in 1974, and another law degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 1982. From 1981 to 1984, he served as a prosecutor in Bulawayo. He started his career as a magistrate in 1984 at Masvingo. He attained the rank of regional magistrate in 1990. He was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1994, serving until 2001. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2001, and became the country’s first Deputy Chief Justice in 2008.^[2]

Chief Justice of Zimbabwe[]

Following the retirement of Godfrey Chidyausiku, Malaba was appointed Acting Chief Justice on 1 March 2017. During interviews to become the Chief Justice, he scored 92 percent, achieving the highest score of those interviewed. He assumed the office on 27 March 2017.^[2] In July 2018, Malaba ruled that former President Robert Mugabe had freely resigned, and was not coerced.^[4] The Chief Justice, in a unanimous supreme court decision in August 2018, concurred with the other eight justices of the court, in a ruling that president Emmerson Mnangagwa's July 2018 election was lawfully conducted, and had "complied with prescribed procedures", dismissing the political opposition's claims to the contrary.^[5]

Retirement[]

On 15 May 2021 the high court of Zimbabwe retired him as the chief justice and ruled his extension of office was unconstitutional. ^[6]

Under the Zimbabwe Constitution, Chief Justice Malaba is required to retire when he reaches 70 years of age on 15 May 2021.^[7]

References[]