Times Of Swaziland: Historic sitting for Supreme Court

Historic sitting for Supreme Court
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 TINTFOMBI SIMELANE on 03/05/2012 00:00:00


MBABANE – The Chief Justice of Gambia, Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, was yesterday
sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Swaziland.
Chief Justice Micheal Ramodibedi described Agim’s sitting, on the Supreme
Court bench, as ‘history in the making.’
The Supreme Court sat for the first time in its first session yesterday. Justice
Agim was sworn-in immediately before the Supreme Court sat for the roll call.
The roll call was before the full bench of the Supreme Court and was conducted
by the Chief Justice, Michael Ramodibedi.
During the swearing-in ceremony, Agim was with all the other Judges of the
Supreme Court; Justice Moore from Guyana, Justice Twum from Ghana, Justice
Ebrahim from Zimbabwe, Justice Maphalala from Swaziland and Justice Ramodibedi,
the Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Swaziland.
High Court Judge Mumcy Dlamini was present to wish Supreme Court Judge Agim
well.
Also present was High Court Judge Nkululeko Hlophe, who also wished Agim well in
the service of the Supreme Court of Swaziland.
Justice Agim took his oath of allegiance to his Majesty the King and to
upholding the rule of law in the Kingdom of Swaziland.
There were also welcoming remarks by the country’s Chief Justice in honour of
Justice Agim. "It is my honour to welcome to our permanent Supreme Court bench
the current Chief Justice of the Republic of Gambia, His Lordship Professor
Emmanuel Akomaye Agim," said the Chief Justice. Ramodebedi described it as
historic since it was the first time two sitting Chief Justices sat on the same
bench at the same time.
In his welcome speech, the Chief Justice noted that all six judges of the
Supreme Court came from six different Commonwealth countries; Lesotho, Zimbabwe,
Guyana, Ghana, Swaziland and Gambia.
"Furthermore, for the first time in the history of this country, and indeed in
the history of our sister countries, Botswana and Lesotho, we have an all-black
bench," Justice Ramodibedi added.