LAZ regrets petition was not heard

The Law Association of Zambia says it’s unfortunate that the issues raised in the presidential petition were not heard and finally determined by the Constitutional Court on the merits.

In a statement, LAZ president Linda Kasonde says the association had hoped that the first ever presidential petition following the constitutional amendments would have give the country the opportunity to create judicial precedents that would guide and instruct the nation on how such issues can be resolved in the future without the need for further recourse to the courts.

Ms Kasonde states that justice must be seen to be done irrespective of the parties involved.

She says this is especially important at a time like this when the country is so divided and where there is so much political tension.

Ms Kasonde however, states that LAZ would like to caution the public not to condemn the judiciary based on the outcome of the petition, stressing that it is important for the country to have confidence in the judiciary as an institution because it exists to uphold justice and the rule of law as an arm of government.

She says the public should careful as to how it raises issues of misconduct against Judges, stating that it is important to address such issues in a manner preserves the independence of the judiciary and maintains the integrity of the court system rather than undermines it.

And Ms Kasonde says LAZ will refer the complaint by the Constitutional Court against the conduct of lawyer Martha Mushipe to the Legal Practitioners Committees for determination.

Meanwhile Ms Kasonde says the association is concerned with the alarming increase in hate speech, propaganda and misinformation as a political tool by the PF and UPND particularly on social media.

She says one only has to think of the destructive role propaganda and misinformation played in genocides in Nazi Germany more recently in Rwanda to appreciate the potential consequences of such conduct.

Ms Kasonde states that LAZ regrets that even the mainstream media has participated in spreading blatant lies according to the particular agenda they serve.