Monday, February 3, 2025

Judges urged to uphold the integrity of their calling

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Chief Justice Ernest Sakala inspect a guard of honour during the of High Court session in Lusaka
FLASHBACK:Chief Justice Ernest Sakala inspecting a guard of honour during the of High Court session in Lusaka

Chief Justice Ernest Sakala has appealed to judges to continue performing their functions with utmost diligence and dignity, despite being attacked by the public in the course of dispensation of justice.

The Chief Justice was speaking at Livingstone’s Zambezi Sun Hotel during the official opening of a training workshop for Judges of the Supreme Court, High Court and the Industrial Relations Court, organized by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) in conjunction with the Zambia Association of Women Judges (ZAWJ).

Chief Justice Sakala said there was an increase in Public scrutiny, with regard to the quality of work executed by adjudicators and that at times the judiciary has come under scathing attack for making justified decisions.

Chief Justice Sakala said the Zambian public, increasingly expects well skilled and informed adjudicators who are committed to dispensing equal justice, in accordance with the rule of law.

The chief Justice further said, the standards for the adjudicators’ bar have been raised and called for workshops to keep abreast with the latest best practices.

He said the judiciary would always ensure that adjudicators measured up to the expected standards of performance by empowering them with skills to enable them effectively deal with international treaties at domestic level, especially those to which Zambia is a signatory.

[pullquote]Chief Justice Sakala said there was an increase in Public scrutiny, with regard to the quality of work executed by adjudicators and that at times the judiciary has come under scathing attack for making justified decisions.[/pullquote]

The Chief Justice further called upon the adjudicators to uphold the oaths they took at the time of their appointment to the bench, in keeping with the dignity, demands and responsibilities of the judicial office.

Chief Justice Sakala expressed worry that there was a sharp rise in defilement cases, despite the harsh sentences handed out to the perpetrators.

He requested the Zambia Association of Women Judges to consider conducting a study on defilement, as a way of helping to find a lasting solution to the scourge.

ZANIS

20 COMMENTS

  1. Judge Philip Musonda is a corrupt thief. He uses a lawyer called Nicholas Chanda for his mercenary work. Nicholas, once a lawyer for Chiluba has even gotten AIDS due to the dirty money he uses on prostitutes. The other corrupt lawyer used by Philip Musonda was Kelvin Bwalya. He has since been barred from practice. One wonders why Nicholas has not been barred and Musonda fired

  2. The serious question to ask is why have LAWYERS & JUDGES in zambia let their country down like this? You have been taking orders from state house before you dispense justice and this has eroded the confidence the zambian people have in these courts. Just the other day, someone was jailed for 20yrs for stealing a bicycle worth K350 pin and chaps that have embezzled billions are let free and a few given 2 yrs sentences! Until you start explaining these discrepancies, your profession stinks. Soon we the people will avoid courts and start dispensing justice on site. How can Chiluba go scot free? Just why, how? To all of you in the legal profession starting with your lecturers, i have got one word for you all P.A.N.Y.O PANU.

  3. Hope the CJ can also address RB bcz hes the biggest problem we have.if only he can he let the judicial sytem be independent,but we o know that aint going 2 happend.

  4. No 5 Momba. this article is about judges and you go on to insult lawyers without defence on this blog? It is difficult to know whether you seek a personal agenda or whether you are settling scores on this blog.
    Attention: Lusaka Times
    Please ban No. 5 Momba for this personal attack on defenceless lawyers!

  5. Judges in other countries give direction to the country’s leaders e.g. in Arizona when they passed a law on immigration that could have mandated the police to stop anyone they suspect to be illegal ”’Mexican”’, it was struck down by a JUDGE to be unconstitutional because it could have target Mexicans! Where were these Judges when Kunda was gallivanting to London and giving us false hope that Chiluba will be caught? Why didn’t they, from the onset give directions to the executive that bringing a foreign judge is unconstitutional???!!! The judges are our real enemies because they are sleeping at the wheel!!

  6. @ #7 Ngobola Muyembe

    The High Court Judge who ruled on the London Court Judgement (which is a civil case btw) did not in any sense say it is unconstitutional. He simply pointed out that the reason he set aside the order was because of the procedure in which it was done. He gave direction on to how they state can go about in an attempt to register the London Court Judgement.

    Here is an excerpt, “He said in the circumstances, the Attorney-General should have sought to enforce the London High Court judgement by recourse to the common law, under the principles of “private International law” or Conflicts of Law,’ as the principles are alternatively known.”

    This is why LAZ is seeking audience with the Attorney General.

    Let us stick to the facts please.

  7. “Hope the CJ can also address RB bcz hes the biggest problem we have.if only he can he let the judicial sytem be independent,but we o know that aint going 2 happend. “

    @ #5 Jlo, but the Zambian judiciary is independent. Do you have evidence to prove your allegation that the judiciary is not independent? Can you prove beyond reasonable doubt what you have claimed?

    If not then you are not qualified to comment on legal matters.

  8. “You have been taking orders from state house before you dispense justice and this has eroded the confidence the zambian people have in these courts”

    @ #4 Why

    Where is your evidence? Can you prove your allegations?

  9. “Judge Philip Musonda is a corrupt thief. The other corrupt lawyer used by Philip Musonda was Kelvin Bwalya.”

    @ #2 Momba

    Where is your evidence? Those are serious accusations you have made. It would be great to see your evidence.

  10. I AM COMMENTING ON NO. 4 WHY
    WHY CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOUR I FEEL SHAKEN AT THE 20 YEARS JAIL JAIL FOR A BIYCLE
    COSTING K350,000.
    PLEASE I WOULD LIKE TO PAY THE K350,000 OR BUY A NEW BYCLE TO RETURN TO THE OWNER OF THE STOLEN BIYCLE. IT HAS HURT ME SO MUCH WHEN CHILUBA THE BIGGEST THIEF GOT AWAY WITH EVERYTHING. ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW I CAN HELP THIS MAN
    PAY HIS PENALT AND GET HIS SENTENCE REDUCED OR GET HIM OUT OF JAIL PLEASE RING ME ON +447962339485. 20 YRS ITS A VERY LONG TIME FOR K350,000.00
    CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH PRISON HE IS IN. PLEASE CONTACT ME ON THE GIVEN NUMBER. PLEASE YOU CAN EVEN SEND TEXT MESSAGE.

  11. Zambia & Corruption
    I just took a look at the Levy Mwanawasa Foundation website and it has some good information! levyMwanawasaFoundation.com

  12. The same MMD govt took the case to london ask George Kunda VP he was the Judiciary Minister and the same MMD govt RB & George Kunda REJECT the contents of Judge Smith ruling….so how noble is chiluba he used a Govt account as Head of State to bank personal funds he claims from well wishers when the country was under HIPIC ,so who is a criminal here???

  13. Mr. Capitalist – 3 E’s steering economic growth, I admire your patience and stand on justice. Please don’t lose that patience but keep educating these guys who through no fault of their own have given up their freedom of thought. Zambia needs citizens like you who can think independently and are not influenced by rumour mongers. I hope that mmembe reads this because rumour mongering has become big business for him and the Post now.

  14. Capitalist No 8
    Judge Hamaundu said ”if such judgments were not enforceable under any of the WRITTEN LAWS, then the creditor should seek to enforce such judgment at common law. Therefore, the FIRST issue to be determined in the application is whether the judgment of the London High Court of Justice is enforceable either under the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act or under any other WRITTEN LAWS”

    The issue still remains that he felt there was nothing in the constitution to support it. You may support Chiluba all you want and argue on semantics but the fact still remains and Chiluba knows this.

  15. Capitalist # 8 Anyone who knows anything about the way courts work will agree that precedents of previous decisions are the currency that drives judicial decision making. Judge Hamaundu has even disregarded his own decision in order to allow Chiluba to get away with his loot and keep everything he has stolen from the Zambian people. Judge Hamaundu in the case of Reefcor Limited versus Les Generals Des Carriers Et and Des Mines Exploitation Gecamines, directly registered a South African judgment even though he found that South Africa was not on the list of countries from whom Zambia could ordinarily accept judgments. This was his own decision. And in law, a judge is not permitted to disregard his own decision because this is a recipe for judicial anarchy.

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