Maravi

LAZ pledges to restore integrity of Judiciary

LAZ pledges to restore integrity of Judiciary
By Bright Mukwasa
Mon 09 Jan. 2012, 13:53 CAT

THE Law Association of Zambia will ensure the integrity of the Judiciary is restored and maintained, says newly-elected president James Banda. And Banda says LAZ will participate fully to ensure the current constitution-making process is people-driven.

Banda, the former vice-president of LAZ, was elected following the resignation of Musa Mwenye, who has been appointed Solicitor General. In an interview, Banda said the absence of a functioning Judiciary can lead to a breakdown of society.

He also said his association would engage the government in finding a solution to concerns which the public has been raising against the judiciary.

"There have been attacks on the Judiciary like allegations of corruption, allegations of some judges not working properly, the allegations of delayed judgments. All these issues have to be looked into because without an effective judiciary, justice would be a wish, not a reality. We will be engaging government on this issue and all concerned parties to find an effective way of ensuring that our Judiciary is effective and accountable and free from corruption," he said.

"…We want accusations to stop so that the integrity of the Judiciary is restored and maintained and we have a functioning judiciary. Without a functioning judiciary, society breaks down and we need our Judiciary to be effective and this is one of our priorities now until the next annual general meeting."

And Banda said the current debate about the suggested constitution road map by the government was healthy in a democratic dispensation.

"There is this issue of the constitution, which we want to ensure it is a people driven constitution. We have a committee which deals with constitutional affairs and we have already tasked them to look into this issue and come up with guidelines…," he said.

"Now for the constitution to be a people-driven constitution, there must be consensus and if debate on whether the procedure which has been adopted right now by the government is flawed, some have said it is flawed, others are saying it is okay. The debate is good as an element itself to come up with consensus so that the issue of procedure is debated but consequently, the merits of the actual process of the constitution is what people should be concerned about."

Banda thanked the general membership of LAZ for electing him president of the profession's regulatory body.

Labels: JUDICIARY, LAZ

posted by MrK @ 3:34 PM