Collecting funds without transmitting them to the government treasury plus destruction of magistrates’ notes, vouchers and government property—these are some of the disciplinary charges facing embattled Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh.
The Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) has been investigating Chief Magistrate Walsh for months, after the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Hildred Simpson, requested that Walsh be investigated amid allegations about her conduct.
The Permanent Secretary attempted to initiate the probe in October 2022, while Walsh was acting as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Walsh obtained an injunction then by arguing that the Permanent Secretary overstepped her authority. The Commission continued to investigate and appointed Justice Godfrey Smith to lead the probe, providing Walsh with an opportunity to respond.
On Monday, the Chief Magistrate lost her bid for interim relief against the Commission, as Judge Jan Drysdale stated that the magistrate “lacked substantial evidence to support the allegations of any abuse of process” by the Commission.
The Chief Magistrate will now face the 10 disciplinary charges laid against her, and a hearing will determine her future.