The judiciary’s efforts to continuously improve its public image and curb the vice of corruption are in full swing and one of the measures is providing uniforms for all its support staff.
The move will, for the start, have at least 550 support staff (450 Court Clerks and 100 drivers) provided with corporate shirts and t-shirts, complete with their full names and job titles.
The development comes against recommendations in the 2020 Judiciary Anti-corruption Taskforce Report, which emphasizes staff uniforms for all support staff. This, the report stressed, would easy staff identification in their respective courts and minimize the vice of corruption.
An April 9, 2021 circular to all staff issued by the Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the judiciary, Mr. Pius Bigirimana, announced that the uniforms would be procured in a phased manner. “Management has procured the second batch of uniforms for all Court Clerks countrywide. The first batch, early this year, catered for drivers,” the circular reads in part.
Mr. Bigirimana said the move was part of the robust efforts to fight against corruption in the institution and many others implemented before.
Judiciary’s Chief Registrar, Sarah Langa Siu, said “With our court staff properly uniformed, it will be effortless to identify and deal with the crooks that have been impersonating court officials at some of the courts and extorting money from the unsuspecting litigants.”
Court Clerks perform clerical duties in court, prepare the docket of cases to be called, secure information for judicial officers and contact witnesses, advocates and litigants to obtain information for court.
Each of the benefitting court staff received three sets of uniforms, which they are expected to wear at all times while on duty. The phased provision of uniform will see all the 2,000 administrative support staff properly identified.
