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Section 178: Qualifications of judges of Supreme Court

Constitution of Zimbabwe

(1) A person is qualified for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court if he or she is a Zimbabwean citizen and at least forty years old and, in addition—

    (a) is or has been a judge of a court with unlimited jurisdiction in civil or criminal matters

in a country in which the common law is Roman-Dutch or English and English is an

officially recognised language; or

    (b) for at least ten years, whether continuously or not, he or she has been qualified to

practise as a legal practitioner—

          (i) in Zimbabwe; or

          (ii) in a country in which the common law is Roman-Dutch or English and English

is an officially recognised language;

and is currently so qualified to practise.

(2) To be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court a person must be a fit and proper person to hold office as a judge.

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Qualifications of judges of Supreme Court

This section establishes two key requirements for Supreme Court judges:

  1. Basic qualifications: The candidate must be a Zimbabwean citizen, at least 40 years old, and either:
    • Have judicial experience in a common law country (Roman-Dutch or English) where English is official, or
    • Have at least 10 years of legal practice experience in Zimbabwe or similar common law jurisdictions
  2. Character requirement: The "fit and proper person" clause ensures judges must meet ethical and professional standards beyond technical qualifications

This framework aims to ensure Supreme Court judges have sufficient experience and integrity for this crucial role in Zimbabwe's judicial system.