Joel Leonardo, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Judicial Year 2025, assured that the judiciary in Angola "will not tire of raising annually" the flag of speed and effectiveness of judicial decisions.
"Therefore, we compare the courts as if they were emergency benches, in which the proceedings should be catalogued as being permanently urgent services, aiming at the resolution of unavoidable vital problems of citizens and institutions", he said.
The guarantee of swift, fair and equitable processes must guide the actions of the courts, signaled the president of the TS, with a view to restoring social peace and ensuring the harmonious development of society.
Joel Leonardo said, however, that Angola currently has 766 judges, "a number still too small to meet the large demand for court services".
A situation that "alerts us to the urgency of reinforcing the number of 150 more judges, 40 appellate judges and 1000 Judiciary employees by 2025", he said.
The judge highlighted the actions taken by the country's Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) to ensure the functional conditions of the courts and offer concrete and rapid justice, such as the promotion of several court officers.
"For a Swift and Efficient Justice, Let Us Modernize the Courts and Value the Justice Operators" is the motto of the Judicial Year 2025, whose opening ceremony took place in the province of Uíge.
At least 3840 civil servants work in the three instances of the country's common jurisdiction, as Joel Leonardo said, arguing that without motivation from these professionals, procedural procedures "move very slowly".
"We must take care of their working conditions, provide constant training, and treat them with respect so that we can demand good customer service from them," he stressed.
To stimulate employees and "discourage strange impulses", the judge promised to improve the number of cases to increase fees and other legal revenues.
As part of the opening of the 2025 Judicial Year, the province of Uíge gained its first court of appeal on Thursday, inaugurated by judge Joel Leonardo, also president of the CSMJ, who also established, in that province, the autonomy of the Negage District Court.
