Editing Politics of Zimbabwe (section)

===Judiciary===

The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the [[Supreme Court of Zimbabwe]] who, like their contemporaries, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Constitution has a Bill of Rights containing extensive protection of human rights. The Bill of Rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of independence except by unanimous vote of Parliament.

The Supreme Court is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal. The Chief Justice is the senior judge. Others who sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe are Justice [[Paddington Garwe]], former Judge-President of the High Court, Wilson Sandura and Vernanda Ziyambi. [[Luke Malaba]], a former justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed acting chief justice on 1 March 2017 following the retirement of Chief Justice [[Godfrey Chidyausiku]]. Malaba was promoted to chief justice on 28 March.<ref name="herald.co.zw">{{cite web|last1=Zharare|first1=Herbert|last2=Kachere|first2=Phyllis|title=Malaba appointed Chief Justice {{!}} The Herald|url=http://www.herald.co.zw/malaba-appointed-chief-justice/|website=www.herald.co.zw|access-date=1 April 2017}}</ref>

The legal system is based on [[Roman-Dutch law]] with [[South Africa]]n influences. A five-member Supreme Court, headed by the Chief-Justice has original jurisdiction over alleged violations of fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution and appellate jurisdiction over other matters. There is a High Court consisting of general and appellate divisions. Below the High Court are regional magistrate's courts with civil jurisdiction and magistrate's courts with both civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases involving traditional law and custom. Beginning in 1981, these courts were integrated into the national system.

List of chief justices of Zimbabwe:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;text-align:left"
!rowspan="2"|Incumbent
!colspan="2"|Tenure
!rowspan="2" width=50% |Notes
|-
!Took office
!Left office
|-
|[[Hector Macdonald (judge)|Hector Norman MacDonald]]
|1977
|May 1980
|Appointed by Ian Smith ([[Rhodesia]] under [[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence|UDI]])
|-
| [[John Fieldsend|Sir John Fieldsend]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rothschildfostertrust.com/materials/lecture_gubbay.pdf|title=THE LIGHT OF SUCCESSIVE CHIEF JUSTICES OF ZIMBABWE IN SEEKING TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW|publisher=MIRIAM ROTHSCHILD AND JOHN FOSTER HUMAN RIGHTS TRUST|access-date= 26 February 2016}}</ref>
|1 July 1980
|1983
|
|-
| [[Enoch Dumbutshena]]
|February 1984
|1990
|
|-
|[[Anthony Gubbay]]
|1990
|2001
|
|-
|[[Godfrey Chidyausiku]]
|2001
|2017
|
|-
|[[Luke Malaba]]<ref name="herald.co.zw"/>
|2017
|present
|
|}