Mali’s Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) has approved the assignment of 99 newly recruited magistrates to courts across the country.
Meeting in Bamako on Thursday, the council also discussed appointments at the Supreme Court, which has recorded at least 35 retirements without replacements since 2023.
The 99 magistrates, who were recently recruited and sworn in, will take up their first posts following the approval of their assignments on Thursday, October 15, by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, which met in Bamako under the chairmanship of President Assimi Goïta.
According to Justice and Human Rights Minister Mamoudou Kassogué, the assignments took into account the candidates’ stated preferences and their ranking in the final examination. The 99 magistrates were sworn in before the Bamako Court of Appeal in late July.
The session also addressed the renewal of the positions of president and vice-president of the Supreme Court, as well as other vacant posts within the country’s highest court. The decisions must be formalised by decrees before taking effect.
Since 2023, the Supreme Court has recorded at least 35 retirements that have not been followed by replacements, according to figures released after the council meeting. Several positions are also being filled on an interim basis, including the leadership of the high court and some of its divisions.
The justice ministry plans a broader reshuffle of magistrates in a second phase, as part of ongoing reforms to the judicial system.
The reforms include the gradual introduction of multi-judge panels across the courts, with panels comprising at least three judges and up to five magistrates in some specialised divisions. They also provide for the establishment of sentence enforcement judges and the gradual deployment of pretrial detention and liberty judges.
The new judicial map also envisages the gradual replacement of justice-of-the-peace courts with courts of first instance.
Mali’s 2023 constitution assigns the Superior Council of the Judiciary responsibility for managing magistrates’ careers and gives it an advisory role on matters concerning judicial independence. The president, vice-president and other members of the Supreme Court are appointed by presidential decree upon a binding proposal from the council.
MD/te/Sf/lb/as/APA