CHIEF Justice Salesi Temo has made no bones about what should be done at the High Court exhibit room following the disappearance of seven cocaine bars.
He wants it secured and that makes sense. In fact, it goes without saying.
The Chief Justice has vowed to pursue those responsible for the disappearance of the seven cocaine bars.
Anyone found guilty, he said, should face imprisonment and be removed from the judiciary.
Justice Temo said he was very concerned about the incident and would move to strengthen the system after the alleged theft.
There should be no place in the judiciary, he said, for anyone responsible for stealing court exhibits and that is the way to go.
We can’t have this level of complacency at all. The call by the Chief Justice will no doubt draw a lot of endorsement and positive reactions.
This is what we have been saying all along about the need to appreciate that there has to be a sense of responsibility and common sense in what we do.
There has to be an appreciation of duty, and our obligations when we are dealing with issues of national importance.
In a strongly worded statement, he made it clear that whoever was found responsible should be jailed.
Clearly, this is frustrating.
It takes a swipe at the state of security at the High Court exhibit room and questions the commitment of those tasked to ensure exhibits are secure.
Whoever is responsible for the disappearance was bold enough to remove seven bars of cocaine. They should be prepared to face the full force of the law. Whatever happens must sound a warning for those who may feel they are immune to the rule of law.
However, what has happened will also raise many questions. How did this happen?
Why was it even allowed to happen?
As the Chief Justice said, there should be no place in the judiciary for someone responsible for such an act and protecting the integrity of the courthouse was his responsibility.
So, he has his work cut out.
He expressed hope that police would catch the person responsible and allow justice to take its course and acknowledged that the stealing of court exhibits was not a new problem.
Now, again, that is serious.
As we said, what happened has raised many questions. The challenge now is what are we going to do about it?
This certainly is an embarrassing state of affairs. But embarrassment will not secure an exhibit room. We need action, accountability and stronger systems.
Let’s face it. Court exhibits are tied directly to the administration of justice.
They must be protected, accounted for and treated with the seriousness they deserve. If confidence in the justice system is to be maintained, then every weakness exposed by this incident must be addressed.
The law applies to everyone, and no one entrusted with upholding it should ever forget that.
