Zimbabwe’s Child Justice Bill has undergone a fresh review to address overlapping responsibilities among officers handling children in conflict with the law, following its return to Parliament after being passed by both Houses.
Cabinet approved the revised Child Justice Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, with the latest changes aimed at improving coordination within the child justice system and the management of cases involving children.
The Bill was presented by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Legislation.
According to the Cabinet briefing, nine clauses of the previously passed Bill were reviewed, including provisions relating to guardianship where an appropriate adult is unavailable, recommendations on the release of detained children, and the responsibilities of diversion officers.
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The review followed concerns that the roles of child protection officers and diversion officers needed to be clearly defined to eliminate duplication of responsibilities and improve coordination.
The revised legislation seeks to consolidate responsibilities within a single office and strengthen the supervision of cases handled through diversion.
The Bill also provides for a distinct criminal justice system for children in conflict with the law, the establishment of provincial and district justice committees, and the creation of district diversion committees.
It further proposes amendments to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] concerning the age of criminal responsibility.
The legislation has been in the pipeline for several years. It was gazetted in December 2021 and passed by both Houses of Parliament in March 2023 before being referred back for further work.
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