Judges grumble over money

THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has said serious funding challenges were affecting its operations and described funds it was receiving from Treasury as “back pocket change.”

A report tabled in Parliament last Thursday said the JSC placed a bid of $40,6 million for this year but was allocated only $3 million, leaving a variance of $37,6 million. It said in 2016, only $1,2 million was disbursed against an allocation of $3,3 million.

The report said the figures reflect the serious funding challenges that the commission was facing.

The commission said its challenges had worsened since the pulling out of its major funder, the Danish International Development Agency (Danida), last year.

The report criticised Treasury for the paltry allocations.

“Critical funding needs for 2017 include capital expenditure for the conditions of service of the new Chief Justice and the completion and renovation of court buildings as well as judicial officers which are all in jeopardy as the major funder of the commission Danida pulled out in 2016. Treasury was so spoilt that its meagre allocation to the JSC amounted to, in the words of the commission itself, virtually ‘back pocket change’. The almost total foreign funding of an arm of Government that should be independent is disconcerting regarding sovereignty,” the Parliamentary report said.

The JSC said its priority programmes include resourcing the commission, institutional capacity growing, infrastructural development, High Court decentralisation and improving the justice delivery system and access to justice.

Parliament is yet to pass the 2017 national budget, but basically all ministries and Government departments have complained over inadequate funding. — @ pamelashumba1