High Court judge Devitte resigns from bench

A judge who struck down three ruling party election victories on the grounds they were tainted by violence resigned from the nation’s High Court, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, quoting judicial officials. Judge James Devittie’s decision came days after ruling party militants accused him of bias in favour of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Zimbabwe’s independent judiciary has come under intense pressure for repeatedly ruling against the government of President Robert Mugabe. A report last month by the International Bar Association (IBA) condemned what it called “unrelenting and vicious” harassment of judges by government officials and ruling party militants. Devittie submitted his letter of resignation on Monday but refused to make public his reasons for quitting. “After giving the matter my most anxious consideration, I find myself unable to justify my continued stay on the bench,” Devittie said.
Before becoming a judge, Devittie founded the local group Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR). Devittie is to leave his post at the end of July, five years after being appointed by Mugabe.

Devittie had ruled on challenges to four victories from June’s parliamentary elections. He upheld one ruling party victory in a constituency in southwestern Zimbabwe and struck down three others, ruling they had been tainted by violence.