Activist Wins Court Leave to Sue Judicial Commission

Activist Jerry Enriquez scored a legal victory this week in his ongoing public-interest challenge against the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC).  During a hearing at the High Court on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Martha Alexander granted Enriquez leave to sue the JLSC over its handling of his complaint of judicial misconduct against Justice Tawanda Hondora.  The ruling follows the JLSC’s decision in October to dismiss Enriquez’s complaint against Justice Hondora. That decision, according to Enriquez, was conveyed in a brief response containing only a few terse lines and provided no substantive explanation.  Enriquez’s original complaint alleges that Justice Hondora displayed judicial bias in a case brought by the activist challenging the legality of the voters’ list ahead of the March general election.  With leave now granted by the court, Enriquez is expected to move forward with legal action against the JLSC, arguing that the commission failed to properly address his complaint. The matter now shifts to a full judicial review of the JLSC’s decision-making process.