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A compromised judiciary is the worst injustice to the people - Lifuka

A compromised judiciary is the worst injustice to the people - Lifuka
By Namatama Mundia and Bright Mukwasa
Sun 01 Jan. 2012, 13:57 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia president Reuben Lifuka says Chief Justice Ernest Sakala's statement to the new judges and magistrates while welcome, does not go far to acknowledge the timidity and at times impotency of the Judiciary when dealing with politically sensitive cases.

Commenting on justice Sakala's statement to the newly-appointed judges and magistrates urging them to change the negative image of the judiciary, Lifuka said the acquittal of late former president Frederick Chiluba and the refusal to register the London High Court judgment does not bode well for the judiciary.

"Indeed, people desire timely delivery of judgments but these have to be fair and appropriate judgments. The judiciary should not seek to be merely efficient by clearing the backlog of cases, the people of Zambia desire a judiciary that is effective and fair in the manner it dispenses justice," Lifuka said.

He said the judiciary should stop being held captive to political interests.

"A compromised judiciary is the worst injustice to the people. We want to challenge the judiciary to stand on the side of justice all the time," said Lifuka.

Justice Sakala had also called on the adjudicators to prove that the judiciary was capable of managing its own affairs.

And Mpika Caritas director Fr Patrick Chibuye said the calls by justice Sakala were welcome but need to be backed by practical steps.

In an interview yesterday, Fr Chibuye said justice Sakala and his team of judges and magistrates must be seen to be acting fairly in the dispensation of justice.

He warned that the judiciary would continue attracting a negative perception as long as they deliver faulty judgments like in the Chiluba cases.

"I think we need judges and magistrates who have people at heart and call a spade a spade regardless of who has committed a crime because what we have seen in the past is the rich people most of them go scot-free even if there is overwhelming evidence and the poor people, even if someone steals a bag of mealie meal because he or she is hungry, they will go to court and they will be jailed," he said.

"But if we look at these two then the social justice will condemn the judiciary because in normal circumstances natural justice will dictate that the person who has stolen meagre things should be jailed just like someone who has stolen a bag of mealie-meal."

He noted that the judiciary was compromised in the past.

Fr Chibuye also said the judiciary should be very independent for it not to be compromised.

Labels: CORRUPTION, JUDICIARY, REUBEN LIFUKA

posted by MrK @ 5:44 PM