The courts play a critical role to create a peaceful, stable and secure environment in the country, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said on Saturday.
“When peace and stability is achieved, investor confidence would follow and yield the much-needed economic growth which would in turn address the high unemployment rate in our country,” Mogoeng said in a statement.
He was speaking at the strategic session of the judiciary in Mookgopong, Limpopo.
“The intended outcome of the retreat is to improve the overall performance of the courts, from lower to superior courts thus translating to efficient and effective functioning of the courts.
“We are taking this time as the judiciary to take stock and reflect on where we come from, where we are, where we ought to go and how to get there,” he said.
“When we conclude these sessions in a fortnight, it will cease to be judicial business as usual. There should be a radical paradigm shift in the way we have been doing things because the challenges of our times enjoin us to do things differently and better than it has been the case so far,” said Mogoeng.
A team of experts had been brought together to assist in facilitating the sessions over the next two weeks.
This process would culminate in a proper diagnosis of challenges and a short, medium and long term programme of action drawn by judicial officers themselves, for practical implementation with built-in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. - Sapa