Africa-Press – Angola. The presiding judge of the Supreme Court, Joel Leonardo, urged Wednesday, for the unity and cohesion of judges, with a view to building a strong judicial power, in the interest of citizens and society.
Joel Leonardo intervened in the solemn session convened to present eight new judges designated by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, under proposal of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, to fill vacancies in the Supreme Court.
He declared that Angola has been taking significant steps towards the independence of the courts, with notable efforts towards dignifying the judiciary.
The magistrate defended the increase in the number of judges and civil servants, in order to make citizens feel their role in real life, with humanism and solicitude.
He said he wanted to convert each court case into a means to restore peace to the community, restore constitutional order and promote social stability.
On the other hand, he announced that 485 cases had already been judged in Courts of Appeal, 268 in Luanda, 129 in Lubango and 88 in Benguela.
However, he expressed concern about the fact that the Supreme Court had not held any trial at first instance in the judicial year just ended.
Joel Leonardo warned of the exponential increase in economic crime, with a high degree of organization, (…) infiltrated in decision-making centres, always from a cost-benefit perspective.
He urged that such agents bring slander and defamation to the table, diverting the focus from the courts and creating divisions within the class, which often affect outstanding judges, with outcomes, in some cases, dramatic.
Goals of the Supreme Court
The presiding judge of the Supreme Court pointed out as an objective, by the year 2025, the completion of close to three thousand pending cases in all the chambers of this institution.
As an example, he referred that 1,942 cases are pending in the Criminal Chamber, where some judges have more than 300 cases at the table, stressing that the new advisor judges fall under the responsibility of helping to solve citizens’ problems and increase the quality and number of cases to be resolved in each session.
In this way, he announced that next week he will begin the redistribution of stalled cases between the offices of the advisory judges and resolve the pending ones.
Joel Leonardo said he hoped that with the installation of the Uíge and Saurimo courts, the Supreme Court would dedicate itself to matters of law and the standardization of jurisprudence, fundamental for the consolidation of the Democratic State of Law.
He stressed that good laws are not enough, but good law enforcers, which is only possible with available judges and favorable conditions to carry out their responsibilities.
On behalf of the new counselor judges, Artur Domingos Ngunza pointed out that the main challenges were to contribute to the reduction of pending cases and improve citizens’ confidence in the court.
He recognized that the country is struggling with financial difficulties to fill vacancies, and it is incumbent upon the Superior Council of the Judiciary to call a public tender for the provision of vacancies.
He was willing to help create a better relationship between employees, ensure training and better serve the country.
The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, swore and presented to the Supreme Court officials, the counselor judges Anabela Couto de Castro Valente, António Fernando Neto da Costa, Artur Domingos Gunza and Inácio Paixão.
The list is completed by Maria Guiomar Vieira Dias Gamboa Craveiro, Paciência Graça Diaquiesse Dondeiro Simão, Pedro Nazaré Pascoal and Raúl Carlos de Freitas Rodrigues.
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