| Post: | Chief Justice |
| Native Name: | Shona: Mukuru wevatongi |
| Body: | Zimbabwe |
| Insignia: | Coat of arms of Zimbabwe.svg |
| Insigniacaption: | Coat of arms of Zimbabwe |
| Incumbent: | Luke Malaba |
| Incumbentsince: | 27 March 2017 |
| Style: | Honourable |
| Appointer: | President of Zimbabwe |
| Termlength: | No term limit; must retire at 70, unless allowed to continue to 75 by the President |
| Constituting Instrument: | Constitution of Zimbabwe |
| Formation: | 1927 (Southern Rhodesia) 18 April 1980 (Zimbabwe) |
| Inaugural: | Sir Murray Bisset (Chief Justice of Southern Rhodesia) Sir John Fieldsend (Chief Justice of Zimbabwe) |
The Chief Justice of Zimbabwe is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. As such, he is head of the Zimbabwe judiciary.
Per Section 168 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, the Chief Justice is assisted by a Deputy Chief Justice and no fewer than two other associate justices. The Chief Justice leads the business of the Supreme Court and presides over oral arguments. He is also the most senior of the three members of the Zimbabwe Court of Appeals. The Chief Justice also administers the oath of office to the President of Zimbabwe. Like other Supreme Court justices, he is obligated to retire at age 70, unless, before he attains that age, he elecst to continue in office for an additional five years. This extension of office is subject to the approval of the President, following consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and submission of a medical report as to their mental and physical fitness to continue in office.[1]
Since the court was established in 1927, 14 men have served as Chief Justice. This includes eight chief justices during the Southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia periods. The first Chief Justice was Sir Murray Bisset. Since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, six men have served as Chief Justice. Of these six, three have been White and three Black. The current Chief Justice since 2017 is Luke Malaba.
| Image | Chief Justice | Tenure | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Murray Bisset | 1927 – 24 October 1931 | Sir John Chancellor | ||
| 2 | Sir Fraser Russell | 1931–1943 | Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell | ||
| 3 | Sir Robert James Hudson | 1943 – 15 May 1950 | Sir Evelyn Baring | ||
| — | Vernon Lewis | 1950–1950 | Sir John Noble Kennedy | ||
| 4 | Sir Robert Clarkson Tredgold | 1950–1955 | |||
| 5 | Sir John Murray | 1 August 1955 – 1961 | Sir Peveril William-Powlett | ||
| 6 | Sir Hugh Beadle | 1961 – 11 November 1965 | Sir Humphrey Gibbs |
| Image | Chief Justice | Tenure | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Hugh Beadle | 11 November 1965 – 1977 | Sir Humphrey Gibbs | ||
| 2 | Hector Macdonald | 1977 – May 1980 | John Wrathall |
| Image | Chief Justice | Tenure | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hector Macdonald | 18 April 1980 – May 1980 | |||
| John Vernon Radcliffe Lewis (acting)[2] | May 1980 – 1 July 1980 | Canaan Banana | ||
| 1 | John Fieldsend | 1 July 1980 – February 1983 | ||
| - | Leo Baron (acting) | 1983 | ||
| 2 | Telford Georges | February 1983 – February 1984 | ||
| 3 | Enoch Dumbutshena | 29 February 1984 – 1990 | ||
| 4 | Anthony Gubbay | 1990–2001 | Robert Mugabe | |
| 5 | Godfrey Chidyausiku | July 2001 – 28 February 2017 | ||
| 6 | Luke Malaba | 27 March 2017 – present |