Retired Chief Justice Malaba Reflects on Institutional Resistance to Digital Reform

Retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba has identified resistance to technological reform as the primary hurdle during his tenure leading the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). In his final reflections, Malaba emphasized that modernizing the judiciary requires not just leadership, but a fundamental shift in institutional culture and investment in human capital. The struggle to digitize court processes has been a point of contention, with traditionalists often clashing with those pushing for efficiency through technology. Malaba’s tenure highlights the broader challenge of modernizing state institutions in a landscape defined by bureaucratic inertia. The strategic shift for the judiciary remains the successful implementation of digital infrastructure to ensure transparency and speed in legal proceedings, moving away from outdated, paper-based systems.