Mwinyi urges integrity in Zanzibar digital justice reforms

Unguja. Zanzibar President, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, said while technology is essential in modernising the justice system, its success cannot rely on digital tools alone, but must be anchored in integrity, accountability, and patriotism among legal practitioners.

Dr Mwinyi made the remarks on Sunday, June 7, 2026, when opening the 26th Annual General Meeting of the Zanzibar Law Society (ZLS), held under the theme “Embracing Digital Technology for an Improved and Accessible Justice System in Zanzibar.”

He said technology should enhance efficiency rather than replace humanity, fairness, and public trust in justice institutions.

“Technology should be a tool to enhance efficiency and not a reason to remove humanity, equality, and public trust in justice institutions. We must continue building a Zanzibar with a legal system that is trusted and accessible to all without discrimination,” he said.

Dr Mwinyi said a technology-driven justice system has the potential to reach more citizens, including those in remote areas, while reducing delays, costs, and barriers to access to justice.

He stressed that the rule of law remains the foundation of development, peace, and prosperity, noting that no economy can thrive without trust in the justice system.

“You cannot build a strong economy, attract investors, or improve the business environment if citizens and investors do not trust the justice system,” he said.

He urged lawyers to act as ambassadors of confidence in the investment climate, saying ethical and competent legal practitioners are essential for a safe business environment.

“The legal profession is one of great honour, which demands high levels of integrity and accountability. Lawyers must therefore be good legal advisers and guardians of justice, not people who use their profession for personal gain,” he said.

Chief Justice of Zanzibar Khamis Ramadhan Abdalla said the judiciary has already introduced case management and hearing systems, with trials recently conducted under the new digital framework, and lawyers urged to adopt the platforms as the system moves towards full digitisation by July this year.

However, he noted challenges in implementation, saying some practitioners are still not fully prepared to use the systems.

“We see challenges because even judges are now required to have computers to type proceedings. This raises concerns, so they need supporting equipment such as audio and video recording devices, but we must start and move into these systems,” he said.

Outgoing ZLS President Joseph Shaaban Magazi said legal practitioners must ensure technology improves justice delivery and aligns with global developments in the legal sector.

Earlier, Law Practice Training Institute lecturer, Prof Zakayo Lukumay, said technology must be guided by the justice system, not the other way around, stressing the need for a trustworthy system aligned with scientific and technological progress.

He said such reforms would ease access to justice and reduce case backlogs, adding that Zanzibar has the potential to become a hub for alternative dispute resolution.

UK High Commission Head of Security and Justice Alex Beck said digital reforms go beyond technology adoption and also require rethinking how justice is delivered.

He said the United Kingdom has long supported Zanzibar’s judiciary, including recent cooperation on a digital dashboard designed to enable institutions to collect and share data more effectively.