The Pontifical Commission Justia et Pax was established in the Vatican in 1967 by His Holiness Pope Paul VI when he issued a challenge to the Dioceses all over the world to work for justice and obtain peace as per Catholic Social Teaching (STC).

In Zimbabwe the Bishop`s Conference formed the commission on national level in March 1972 during the colonial era at the height of liberation struggle, dutifully compiling atrocities being committed, monitoring the human rights situation and reporting to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop's Conference (ZCBC). After Independence the work continued by educating the public and assists to solve social injustices such as the 5th Brigade atrocities in Matabeleland in the mid 1980s. Injustice, human rights, child abuse, voter education, gender and other issues were considered into the work of the CCJP by then.

1986 the CCJP of the Archdiocese of Harare was established. However the work was assisted by the national office. The late Archbishop Patrick F. Chakaipa renamed it the 'Social Concerns' by mainly emphasizing on social welfare from the beginning of the 1990s going on. Since 2005 Archbishop Robert C. Ndlovu is re-establishing a CCJP in the Archdiocese of Harare.