Justice Minister Commences High Court Amendments Act

By: Josia Shigwedha

The Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, on Friday announced the commencement of the High Court Amendments Act – providing for procedural requirements regulating repossession of homes of primary residence and affording legal insulation against abuse associated with the repossession process. 

Effectively, the law strikes the balance between protecting the rights of primary homeowners, promoting commercial activities and safe guarding the integrity and stability of the judicial system.

At the same time, the Minister commenced Item (A) of Sub-paragraph 4 of Paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Dissolution of Marriages Act, 2024, which empowers the Judge-President of the High Court to make High Court Rules, without having to consult the Head of State. 

The Minister opted for this calculated approach to enable the Judge-President of the High Court to approve and gazette the High Court Rules necessary for easy implementation of the just commenced Act.

This radical move, followed the Minister’s communications in earlier months, to both Judiciary and Legislative Drafting Team that they should finalised the Rules relevant to the commenced Act, or else, he (Minister) will proceed to commence the concerned Act, by 25 August 2025.