Joel Leonardo, who spoke at the opening of the 6th ordinary session of the CSMJ plenary, welcomed the "positive engagement" of the executive, "which has done everything to dignify the judicial judiciary", within the scope of the interdependence of functions, enshrined in the Constitution.
However, he noted, "incentives for the most outstanding magistrates and employees appear urgent, and it is imperative to approve a new legislative package for the judiciary, namely the remuneration status of judicial magistrates and bailiffs".
According to the presiding judge of the CSMJ, the regulation of the law on court costs and the derogation of some rules from the Criminal Procedure Code should also be included in the sector's new legislative package.
The need to approve a new remuneration statute constitutes one of the main demands of the Court Officers Union, which has promoted, in recent months, several strikes demanding this assumption.
He recalled that the guarantee judges - with power over issues such as preventive or house arrest and prohibition on leaving the country - have been in office since May 2, 2023, noting that the fact constitutes an "unprecedented evolution in the distribution of more justice fair and more balanced for the Angolan people".
Previously, a magistrate from the Public Prosecutor's Office played the role of the guarantee judge in the citizen's first hearing after his arrest.
Today, highlighted Joel Leonardo, the person "has in his hands a protective instrument of universally accepted criminal principles of guarantee, because, as soon as he is arrested, the citizen demands that he be brought immediately before a judicial magistrate".
For Joel Leonardo, the figure of the guarantee judge materializes the appreciation of the dignity of the human person, "because, independence, equity, speed and common sense, he carries out the first interrogation, neutralizes procedural invalidities, repressing violations of democratic legality".
At least 13,699 cases have been received so far across the country by the CSMJ, of which 4,859 were sent to prison and 3,615 were issued with release and bail warrants.
"To be decided, there are only 230 cases in all support units for guarantee judges, created since May 2023, throughout the national territory", maintained the magistrate.
He also praised the action of the "brave" 176 guarantee judges, who "with their sleeves rolled up, open up lonely paths, offering effective judicial assistance to citizens, protecting their fundamental rights".
Joel Leonardo also promised to reinforce the Courts of Appeal with another 11 judges and prepare the entry, "soon", of 182 judges, "whose internship is about to end", aiming to reinforce the team of guarantee judges.
The inauguration of the Courts of Appeal of Uíje and Saurimo and the District of Viana, the General Court Vault and the implementation of the courts of Cazenga (Luanda), Nzeto (Zaire), Icolo and Bengo (Luanda) and Kibala (Cuanza Sul) These are immediate tasks, he assured.
In his intervention, he also highlighted procedural dematerialization, namely the digitalization of all courts, the implementation of the court service portal and the construction of new courts throughout the country, "with uniform architectural features", as the focus of the CSMJ's performance.
