Attorney-General, Mumba Malila, has charged that many law students at the legal institute were resorting to examination leakages because of rampant violation of professional ethics by several practitioners.
Mr Malila said yesterday that it was shameful that even some learners of the legal profession at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) would deem it convenient to cheat their way into the profession by helping themselves to leaked examination papers.
“As a leader of the bar in Zambia and chairman of the Council of Legal Education, I was devastated to learn of the leakages of examination question papers at ZIALE and this shows that the reputation of our profession is under threat,†he said.
He was speaking at the opening of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) seminar at Zambezi Sun Hotel in Livingstone yesterday.
Mr Malila said it was such cheats who, upon admission to the bar, became a menace to the profession, adding that such professionals threw out of the window every rule of ethics.
The Attorney-General said many legal practitioners were violating ethics of the legal profession in Zambia, giving it a bad name and creating a recipe for other vices to new entrants.
The entire legal profession has consequently earned itself a bad name and it was in considerable disrepute because of the slow, tardy, corrupt justice and declining standards of adjudication and legal service.
“Noble as our past may be, the current reputation of lawyers is not what it should be. We can no longer ignore the persisting and pervasive criticism of the conduct and performance of the lawyers,†Mr Malila said.
He said there was need for concerted efforts to change the image of the profession and ensure the legal system restored its good name and delivered an improved quality of service to the people.
It was, therefore, necessary for the LAZ to reinforce the application of rules of practice and strengthen the sanction for delinquents and violators.
“We must purge ZIALE of those examination cheats. We must take those young lawyers who, for lack of chambers, practice from their brief cases and unsuitable premises in workshops back into chambers where their formative years as practitioners should be effectively monitored and supervised,†he said.
The quality of performance of the legal sector would be an important determinant of the prospects for consolidated economic growth and democracy in Zambia.
“The efficient legal system affords more effective protection of human rights, freedoms and liberties of the citizens and available evidence from studies shows that well functioning legal systems promote business growth, rising incomes and democracy,†Mr Malila said.
He said lawyers ought to understand the complex rules of engagement in line with international bodies to enable them to exploit international rules than be exploited by them.
Mr Malila said it was also necessary for LAZ to provide a formal framework for continuous professional development so that members were kept abreast with global development and issues that could open up opportunities for specialisation.
Lawyers exam leakages shock Attorney-General‘…this shows that the reputation of our profession is under threat…’
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No wonder cases are taking 5 years with full of adjurnments.
I am surprised you are talking about this now. What do you expect when you have liberalised university entrance. People with money are the ones being admitted to these schools at the expense of those that are genuinely intelligent. School is not about money but intelligent brains. You, the technocrats, have ruined all this. It is unheard of, to have a population of students at the university, that far exceeds it’s carrying capacity. Leakages, prostitution,drunks and cheating is the order of the day. What has happened to education standards? We have sacrificed standards for money. Now look at what we get. Do we even have morals in this country. Are we so dull and dumb that we cannot see the effects of our own stupid actions. It is so disappointing to hear about leakages at ZIALE. How can we even have the confidence in cheating Lawyers. It is so disappointing. Administrations running these institutions have created this monster because of greed. All you are interested in is making money.
continued.
We have heard of even Lecturers, and to make matters worse, Judges who are co-ordinators at ZIALE asking students for dates. Honestly, are we ever going to do anything serious. I hope you ignorant fools will not blame the IMF or World bank for this leakage, because you always have someone to blame. You are doing this to yourselves and you will rot in hell for this. No wonder so many years after Independence, we still wallow in the shackles of poverty. Bu chi fita.
this is very true nowaday education is being bought like food at the market. which is very bad. we are suposed to study hard to get educated bt nw rich people are even buying degree’s, PHD’s etc cn you imagin such no sense…
How will the Universities operate/function if student’s do not pay for their fee’s? Where will the universities generate the operating costs? The interest is not about money, but about how to run these institution’s. People nowadays, just talk about liberalisation without knowing what exactly it is.
And besides it, i thought the govt was there to provide student bursaries/loan for the intelligent people who have no money. Please enquire on the entry requirement’s to any university in this world,before exposing ignorance.
No wonder we keep producing half baked intellectuals because of the prelevance of mal- practices even among those people who claim to be learned as the legal people. Shame upon such and may the law visit them.
Who on earth has ever trusted a lawyer?
No wonder we have found ourselves with president Mwanawasa and colonies with law backgrounds who are arrogant and foolish not Knowing what is involved in the constitution-making process.All they want is to produce worthless cooked up constitution that suits them.One will think a seasonal lawyer as Mwanawasa claims will defend the will and legitimate rights of the people of zambia by providing resources and support so that the new constitution can be possible and reflects the will of peace loving Zambians.For you progressive and seasoned lawyers fighting for this noble cause. I salute you and God bless you and protect you.Do not shudder because of these small group of failures who went to university without qualifications. What do we expect? cheats .lets the same law they wanted to cheat visit them in order to protect the law itself
Our education standards fell and hit rock bottom when MMD came into 1992 to be specific.
It only shows how the entire Zambian systems of governance and control have crmbled. The leakages at ZIALE are a normal thing in Zambia.
How often have politicians in Zambia ascended to power through malpractiices? How many people passed grade twelve through leaked exzm paper? How many people have built houses on pieces of land that were given to them fraudulantly? How many women have jobs because they gave sexual favours to their superiors? How many ZRA officers are stinking rich because of the money they store from govt? How many people hold government positions because they are related to the president.
The whole system is rotten beyond redeption and the young lawyers are within the national norm. What they did is, after all, expected.
The Attorney General is only expressing shock because he wants to keep his job. People should not be shocked if it is later discovered that he is the mastermind behind the scam.
It is a lost country with people who not care?
It, therefore, doesnt make sense to be condenming the scourge. Rather offer solutions on how best to control this negative arrangement in which my beloved coutry finds itself in.
KC, you are absolutely right. But from my knowledge at UNZA, I would also like to point out that these things are MORE RAMPANT in law school-and have been before 1992. Of course they’ve spread elsewhere.
Go to Law school and check out the people lining up to get, i.e. buy, degrees in their evening program. It’s a joke! The corruption that FTJ’ administration precipitated has somewhat coincided with a high demand for lawyers. But there’s little to show for it in terms of prosecutions.
SO, NO SURPRISES THAT THERE ARE FEW CONVICTIONS. NOT MANY OF THESE FOLKS ARE COMPETENT.
Education dishonest is seriously dentrimental to any national that seeks to develop into a respectable one.This right here is one point that can easily explain why we continue to wallow in poverty even afte producing hundreds of economists, lawyers etc.
What we forget to see because we are seriously myopic is that there are no short cuts to true success. Producing unqualified professionals will definitely harm us in the future. Here is an example how.If we entrust our engineers to manufuctor an aeroplane that should be carrying people.In the mind of those engineers they should be thinking that they need to do work meticulously,knowing that the same plane they are designing will one day carry their own mother/relative etc. In other we have antrusted them with our safety.Now if these engineers were dubiously educated, it means we are putting the whole nation at risk. Extrapolating this to all sectors of education gives a greater view of the consequencies of education dishonest.
The job of a lawyer in Zambia is to have money and work hard to defend lies. I recall one man I know in Zambia who bosted of his lawyer that no matter of what I do his lawyer will be in court while he will be in Mfuwe enjoying himself. This is in case when he signed papers in the name of the organization and imported personal vihicles durring his suspention from the office.Hence stealing from the goverment by not paying taxi.What a shame!
I always simplify words to make people understand. “LAWYERS MEANS LIERS”I agree with Kayata who is asking (who on earth can trust lawyers?)
bagulisa manje money talks
The reading is sad especially that the legal profession attains its respect through honesty and upholding of the law. Having practiced in Zambia and now doing so in the UK, I can sadly see how inadequate our profession in Zambia is in supervision and imparting ethical and professional cariculla to in our profession. The LAZ needs to act soon and decisively in order to preserve the profession otherwise, Advocates will continue to embezzle, practice adultery with married clients while the rest of the country just watch on. Terence Chibula – Solicitor – UK
Terence ,deep pore cleansing must start with UNZA this where the whole rot is, these kids have gotten used to having it easy since the papers are easily bought at UNZA either through money,sex or otherwise and there is nothing that can stop them from further cheating.Bad habits die hard,no wonder today UNZA/CBU are not amongst the best 100 universities in Africa.Surgery is needed to weed out this cancer.The office of the chancellor and group appear not to care cos this thing started many years ago at UNZA and these spillovers could have been prevented had anyone cared.Its disgusting
Chilumba, you are putting the blame on the buyer, it’s the seller at fault. What we need is good management at the 2 universities, as you have mentioned. Ok, How will the student’s approach the lecturer’s and staff, if the lecturer’s and staff are well paid? The staff have lost their dignity and respect, hence you are seeing them in promiscous affairs. They have nothing to protect or care for. No love for their family and themselves, if they are caught and dismissed. I think the student’s are not at fault, but the administration. Terence, lawyer’s are always one sided, depending which sides fits them best, anywhere in this world. With lawyers they believe in sueing, hence most their daughter’s are SUE (susan)
Has anyone been prosecuted yet???..seller, buyer, does not make a difference they are all cheats…but if the AG knows what is going on what is he doing about it???..he is the top dog is’nt he????
It is a disgrace to hear of malpractices even in institutions of learning we professional ethics needs to be promoted.
As Zambian’s we are paying for using money to go to institutes of higher learning.
Let us go back to those days when exam paper leakages and coaching session were not part of our learning process and defend the integrity of professionalism.
brains and not money should go to institutions of higher Learning.
What do you expect, living in a country riddled with poverty? We talk about development because its expected of us, but none will exert themselves wholeheartedly to achieve that cause because their stomachs are rumbling with hunger. So we have it, everyone scrambling wildly to keep their heads above water whatever means it takes. Its not just lawyers, its everyone, for some the truth hasn’t come to the fore yet.
Kenyan tutor on ‘sex for grades’
The problem of sexual harassment in universities is widespread in Africa: young women are frequently asked to sleep with their tutors in order to gain good grades, and even threatened with failure if they refuse to do so.
Lecturer Dr Ken Ouko at the University of Nairobi in Kenya’s capital agrees that it is a problem but from his experience, it does need perspective.
Dr Ken Ouko admits that the female students can be tempting
The students can be tempting… all dressed up and looking saucy.
Once the students come here, they have a lot of freedom and it extends to their dress. They can wear anything they like – universities do not have uniforms.
The naughty ones dress up to kill. They are all looking at you, at your mercy, and as a man it is true it is tempting.
The female students have a lot to gain. Amongst themselves it is seen as prestigious to hang out with lecturers and they know that they won’t have to work too hard.
As a lecturer you really have to concentrate on what you’re doing.
Catch-22
The worst time is just before examinations.
My bosses have told me that the girls always get the benefit of the doubt and so as a lecturer you are expected to take of yourself. You have to be an adult and control yourself.
AFRICA HAVE YOUR SAY
Sexual harassment is very serious in both schools and universities
Gady Mwamba Museka, Zambia
Send us your comments
But then there are the vulnerable students who need your time and extra help with their subjects.
If you are seen to be helping them then people start asking why and your actions can be interpreted the wrong way. It is a Catch-22.
A few years ago I had this student who missed an exam. One of the rules of the university is that you cannot miss an exam claiming that you misread the timetable. She didn’t read that rule and came to me explaining she had misread the schedule.
The exam was the afternoon before and then very early in the morning she came to my office, all dressed up, crossing and un-crossing her legs in her mini skirt in front of me. She suggested that maybe there was some way I could help her out.
I resisted, but said that she could join my evening class for the same subject and then write the exam when the part-time students were sitting it.
Fatherly
Because of that we maintained contact for those three weeks.
But it turned out that everything we said and each message we exchanged she kept as a record. Then she went to the administration and changing her story, told them she had missed the examination in the first place because I had told her we would do it later.
Later on, after investigations it was found that an arrangement had not been in place as our communication only began after the examination.
During this she started going crazy, saying she would do this and that. I felt for her and so told her to go easy and tried to be fatherly.
But all that was misinterpreted and I was suspended from duty.
The proposition
It was actually reversed after a short time but it was a big battle.
She then changed her story again and said she had missed the exam because she had been unwell. It was all complicated but in the end no doctor could back her up.
But in the meantime the lecturer suffers. My reputation suffered. Everyone’s looking at you wondering if you did it or if you didn’t.
I weathered it and got back to school.
But it sets a precedent and is discouraging. Others think they can do the same thing.
I believe that the proposition actually comes from the student. They are the ones that present the opportunity.
And then the lecturer takes advantage of the opportunity that is created and the motive for the student is that their studies become an easy sail.
No wonder I will always respects Graduates from School of Enginering – UNZA. You will never hear of such cases. Reasons we have displined lecturers & also the people who enter this sku would not want to be half baked. But when we come to School of Law / Humanites / Education, rampant cases of exam leakages. Its now spilled from Sku of Law to ZIALE. This in fact gives us the reasons why we have so many cases pending in Zambia’s Courts of Law. Unqualified people handling cases.
What we should do now is find the culprit & punish him / her severely. I know some of the lawyers that are totally half baked. They entered Sku of law with 3.5 points.
“The entire legal profession has consequently earned itself a bad name and it was in considerable disrepute because of the slow, tardy, corrupt justice and declining standards of adjudication and legal service.”
“Noble as our past may be, the current reputation of lawyers is not what it should be. We can no longer ignore the persisting and pervasive criticism of the conduct and performance of the lawyers,†Mr Malila said.
Wow ! What an indictment! Hats off to AGZ – I think there are very few people in such high office who can come out so openly & condemn their own profession without mincing their words – they were all carefully chosen for greatest impact – AT LEAST he is saying to them that he is watching them, for he has the power to prosecute each & anyone of them if found wanting. He could have chosen an easy route, not mention it at this august meeting & all would have been hushed – but no, he chose to bit the bullet, PEOPLE LIKE HIM NEED ALL OUR SUPPORT!!
can we ave names of the culprits please and what is being done. is itt true that sbdy was involved
its really a shame that the protectors of the law are the ones breaching it. i remember such a system at the unza where laboratory reports and assignments were recycled year after year and it was accepted practice. back then in the 1980s, it was called crooks law and even the lecturers joked about it. hence it should not surprise the readers as this is the way zambian degrees are obtain- By CROOKS LAW. One of the reasons is the lack of library facilities but can also show how far corruption is entrenched in our system.
There is nothing new under the sun. These things have always happened. Perhaps the shame of cheating is getting smaller and smaller.
Of course, going by the satanic fees they charge and the length to which they elongate cases to milk fees even from stones, they are stinking criminals.
It all goes back to how Maureen got her LLB, how the youngest brother of the Nchitos (Kapungwe Nchito) got his LLB even if he was one of the dullest fellas at Libala Secondary School. The whole profession has been corrupted yes by existing Lawyers !
ma am wasting my time in europe i should head back to zambia and get myself an LLB with all the euros in my pocket it sounds like a good investment.on th other hand if i decide to migrate this LLB will be nothing.any way i will stick arround atleast here they respect fair play.
#28 that is what we need in zambia shaming them that can’t prove they are worth the paper and walk they talk. good to you man
has any of you guys noticed that POSTS #1 TO 24 are from the future and have varying dates? how are you doing this? give some formula and i will use it to become a millionaire by travelling into the future and come back with LOTTO numbers? advice fellas.
Is this the same Ouko who said Black is inferior??? shame on you!!!!:d