Case postponed once again
July 15, 2009
This morning we learned that the judge in the case has decided to attend an international conference and thus has chosen to postpone the case until October. This decision to postpone for an international conference comes amid a battle between the judiciary and a handful of lawyers calling for them to be more accountable in the press. This does not seem to be a battle that should necessarily be fought in the press but it maqy point to a need for greater internal accountability in the justice system to ensure that litigants are according access to justice without unnecessary delays.
July 15, 2009 at 5:14 pm
[...] discrimination case in Zambia has been moved to October: “This morning we learned that the judge in the case has decided to attend an international [...]
July 16, 2009 at 10:58 am
The judge’s actions have, in my opinion, amounted to a dispensation of the law by following legal provisions with regards to adjournments. Howvever, by so doing the judge has not applied equity to his dispensation.
In my view, its amazing how our courts in Zambia seem to be more of courts of law and not justice. I say so because our legal system owes a great chunk of its roots to the English legal system. The only distinction being that ours combined both the elements of law (common law) and justice (equity), as is evidenced by the English Law (Extent of Application) Act, Chapter 11 of the Laws of Zambia. Its a pity that our legal system, the courts especially, depend more on applying the law as opposed to applying the law whilst ensureing that justice is dispensed.
We need more advocacy in this regard to push the courts to dispense not only the law but the law whilst taking justice into account.