SPEAKER MUTTI COUNSELS JUDICIARY ON DISPENSING OF JUSTICE
SPEAKER Nelly Mutti has advised that elected leaders should endeavour to put the interests of justice above oneself.
Ms Mutti said the newly launched book by the Chief Justice Dr Mumba Malila, SC, gives an image of his vision to have a transformed institution that will act as a beacon of hope, restoring public confidence in the judiciary and ensure justice for all.
She said that the title of the book describes the lifeblood of what the Judiciary must endeavour to achieve, which was to uphold justice in society.
Ms Mutti was speaking at yesterday's launch of Justice Mumba's seventh book, "Judical leadership and the quest for a reformed Zambian Judiciary-a compendium of speeches and statements", with a foreword by the first Zambian Chief Justice Annel Silungwe.
The Speaker emphasised on the reformation of the Judiciary, stating that the conventional methods of doing things were slowly fading away.
"We must all persevere in the quest for justice and remain steadfast to reforming the Judiciary to ensure justice for all. We must recognise that in the hallways of justice, the words carry immeasurable weight and how we frame the legal arguments and formulate principles of the laws have far – reaching ramifications and ultimately define the framework of our legal knowledge and understanding. Justice must not be a privilege but it is a fundamental right that every person should have access to.
Ms Mutti noted the selected speeches focus on the importance of upholding professional integrity and public accountability within the rule of law.
She said the Chief Justice also discusses the debatable establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.
Justice Mumba also discusses the controversial issue that arose after the death of his predecessor, Justice Irene Mambilima, in which some lawyers called for the advertisement of the
position of Chief Justice as opposed to the traditional method of the Judicial Service Commission to recommend to the President for ratification by the National Assembly.
The book would be made available on the Judiciary website.