Ibrahim Hamis Juma (born 15 June 1958) is a

Tanzanian Demographic features of the population of Tanzania include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The population distribution in Tan ...

lawyer and retired

Chief Justice of Tanzania The chief justice of the United Republic of Tanzania is the highest post in the judicial system of United Republic of Tanzania. The chief justice is appointed by the president and presides over the Court of Appeal of United Republic of Tanzania. ...

Biography

He was appointed a High Court judge by President

Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born 7 October 1950) is a Tanzanian politician who was the List of Presidents of Tanzania, fourth president of Tanzania, in office from 2005 to 2015. Prior to his election as president, he was the Ministry of Foreign Aff ...

in 2008 before he was promoted to serve in the Court of Appeal in 2012. He also served as the chairman of Law Reform Commission of Tanzania (LRCT). He was appointed by President

John Magufuli John Pombe Joseph Magufuli (29 October 1959 – 17 March 2021) was a Tanzanian politician who served as the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from ...

in 10 September 2017. Prior to his appointment as a Chief Justice, he served as Acting Chief Justice and as a justice in the Court of Appeal.

Tenure as Chief Justice (2017–2025)

Reforms and Modernization

Prof. Juma launched a digital transformation of the judiciary, including: * Championed access to justice and access to legal information via Tanzania Legal Information Institute (TanzLII). * Implementing electronic case filing and e-court systems. * Introducing AI-assisted transcription tools to improve efficiency in court proceedings.

Infrastructure Development

He oversaw the construction of a new judicial complex in Dodoma, equipped with ICT systems and space for all national judicial offices. Additionally, over 40 residential buildings for judges were built during his tenure. During his tenure, Prof. Juma oversaw a major national program to expand judicial infrastructure, supported jointly by the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

and the

Government of Tanzania The politics of Tanzania takes place in a framework of a unitary state, unitary presidential system, presidential Democracy, democratic republic, whereby the President of Tanzania is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party ...

. Under the World Bank–funded Citizen-Centric Judicial Modernization Project (CCJMP), the judiciary constructed 18 subordinate courts and initiated the rollout of Integrated Justice Centres (IJCs). By 2024, six IJCs had been completed and nine more were under construction, making a total of 15 justice centres aimed at offering multiple services in one location. In a public address, Juma announced that 60 additional primary courts were being constructed with World Bank support and 12 more funded directly by the Tanzanian government. Another 14 district courts were built in new administrative zones such as Chamwino, and IJCs were expanded into regions including Geita, Simiyu, and Ruvuma.

Independence and Legal Heritage

He advocated for judicial independence and integrity, urging the bench to resist political interference. Juma also promoted the documentation of Tanzania’s judicial history, including the biographies of prominent judges.

Retirement

Juma retired on 15 June 2025. He was succeeded by George Masaju, who pledged to continue the modernization reforms. President

Samia Suluhu Hassan Samia Suluhu Hassan ( ; born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian politician who serves as the sixth and current president of Tanzania since 19 March 2021. She is the first woman to serve in the position and previously served as vice-president of ...

praised him for “exemplary leadership”.

References

1958 births Living people University of Dar es Salaam alumni Alumni of the University of London Lund University alumni Ghent University alumni Chief justices of Tanzania People from Musoma Tanzanian judges Tanzanian lawyers {{Africa-law-bio-stub