Justice T.S. Masoamphambe on Wednesday 1 June 2022, officially launched the workplace Health and Wellness program for the Zomba High Court Registry and eastern region of the Malawi Judiciary at a ceremony held in the boardroom in Zomba High Court from 10:00 hours.
Present at the function were all judicial officers and members of staff from Zomba City Courts. Speaking on behalf of the Chief Justice and the Judge In-Charge of the Zomba District Registry, Justice Masoamphambe stated that the Malawi Judiciary’s health and wellness program is very important in our lives. He furthermore gave a quote from unknown author which states that “Your body hold deep wisdom. Trust in it. Nourish it. Watch your life transform and be healthy”. He then passed a question to the audience; do we give it much attention as we should? He was optimistic that Judiciary employees should change their approach and give their bodies and mind the much-needed attention for the wellbeing of all.
He stressed on the established fact that employers, who emphasize worker wellness get a healthy return on their investment. This is why the Judiciary through the Honorable Chief Justice on 25th March, 2022 launched the Wellness Program for the Judiciary. This entails that the Judiciary recognizes the fact that the work of the judicial officers can be stressful. There are large case loads which require that they work even during odd hours. Some even take files home on weekends cutting into relaxation and family time. Judicial officers and staff work under pressure which can be both internal and external. All the time they strive to be fair, impartial and make right decisions. Such pressure is even great when judicial officers deal with high profile cases which draw public attention. Judicial officers sometimes receive criticism which they cannot respond to. Some cases they hear are traumatizing, for instance rape cases, defilement, murder and several others. In addition, being a judicial officer is professionally and socially isolating. This can mount pressure on them as well. There are also some members of staff that support the judicial work. They consequently get stressed too in the course of their work. They too end up working during odd hours.
That background information in mind, Justice Masoamphambe said it is clear that the judiciary need to find ways to navigate and get skills that will help officers bounce back and renew their strength. This is why the judiciary thinks health and wellness comes at the right time. It is the expectation of the majority of the participants that they will be equipped with the necessary skills that will improve the judiciary’s health and well-being, empower all employees with health and life skills that will enable them achieve best possible health and ultimately optimize their performance and productivity. He expressed hope that the skills and the tips achieved will put to practical use.
He then thanked the Ministry of Healthy for facilitating the presence of health experts as facilitators in the topics on the agenda.
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