TEN DISTRICTS ACQUIRE MODERN COURT BUILDINGS

CHIEF Justice Mohamed Chande Othman said here that the 12.3bn/- given to the judiciary by President John Magufuli for building and rehabilitating courts has enabled ten districts to have modern buildings.

The Chief Justice revealed this when he met Rukwa Regional Commissioner (RC) Zelothe Steven and when he addressed court senior workers from Rukwa and Katavi regions during a meeting held here. He said the ten court buildings are planned for completion in February next year.

“The newly built modern building in the ten districts apart from being a pilot project, their architectural drawings will be applied to other court buildings to be built in other districts,” he said. The construction of new court buildings will increase the number of rooms to address the current shortage.

The Rukwa Regional Commissioner appealed to the Chief Justice to look for better ways of addressing challenges facing the judiciary such as shortage of court rooms, staff quarters as well as delays in court proceedings. The Chief Justice was told that currently there was only a single land council in the region with a single council chairperson with 390 land dispute to be settled.

On his welcoming note, Judge In- Charge for Sumbawanga Zone High Court, John Mgeta, said four criminal cases involving killing of people with albinism are ready for hearing.

He said the cases involve 24 accused persons and that the prosecution intends to summon 93 witnesses. He said judiciary in both regions of Rukwa and Katavi faces shortages of court rooms.

Mgeta said District Magistrate Courts in Kalambo, Nkasi and Sumbawanga in Rukwa Region and Mpanda, Mlele and Tanganyika in Katavi Region have no court buildings.