SUSPENDED Supreme Court judge Justice Francis Bere’s woes continue to mount after his recent application for review, challenging the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)’s decision to advise President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the need to have his gross misconduct allegations investigated by the tribunal, was thrown away by the High Court.
Early this year, Mnangagwa appointed, on the recommendation of the JSC, a tribunal comprising retired judge Justice Simbi Veke Mubako, Rekayi Maphosa, Takawira Nzombe and Virginia Mabiza to decide on Justice Bere’s suitability to continue holding office of a judge.
However, when the JSC later made a decision to advise Mnangagwa that the question of removing Justice Bere from the office of a judge ought to be investigated, the judge challenged the JSC’s move on the basis that it had made a sudden U-turn after initially clearing him of the same offence in November last year.
Justice Bere’s review application was then placed before Justice Benjamin Chikowero who dismissed it with costs, saying the decision to determine whether or not he committed gross misconduct was not for him to make.
