Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Justice Minister Given Lubinda
Justice Minister Given Lubinda says government has made tremendous progress towards refining the Republican Constitution.
Speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when he was transiting to Rome to attend a conference for Ministers of Justice, under the theme ‘A world without a death penalty, no justice without life’, Mr Lubinda says Lacunas in the constitution are of great concern to government.
Mr. Lubinda says to this effect, he will soon issue a ministerial statement to Parliament to give details on specific articles that will need to be reviewed in the constitution.
Meanwhile the Justice Minister says Zambians should not expect all prosecutions to result in convictions.
Reacting to criticism that the State has been losing a lot of cases through acquittals and dropping some through nolles, Mr. Lubinda says it is not possible for the State to win all cases it presents before the courts.
He says state advocates mainly depend on investigations done by investigative wings of government in order to win cases.
Mr. Lubinda says on average, state advocates attend to 36 cases per month, a situation he describes as unbearable.
He states that government has now decided to move prosecutors from the Drug Enforcement Commission and the Police and place them under the National Prosecution Authority in accordance with the constitution.
Mr. Lubinda adds that prosecutors at the Anti-Corruption Commission who have not yet been moved will also be moved to the NPA next year.
This is contained in a statement issued to QFM News by First Secretary-Press and Tourism at Zambia’s embassy in Addis Ababa Ethiopia Inutu Mwanza.