Concourt requires more judges
ZAMBIA needs a full compliment of officers at both the Constitutional Court and the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) to ensure that the nation derives the maximum benefit from the two institutions.
According to former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi, instead of 13 judges the Constitutional court has only six judges handling all issues , a situation which he said was dangerous.
He said the country had enough qualified judges at High Court level who could be given the responsibility to carry out their duties at the Constitutional Court and compliment that the current serving judges were doing.
“A constitutional court should be given serious attention considering that it presides on issues affecting our Laws in that it gives a very clear and serious direction as to how the Constitutions in supposed to be discharged, and also how the constitution is supposed to be understand and respected by the citizens,” he said.
Mr Mumbi said the shortfall of Constitutional Court judges of seven when the court required 13 bring certain decisions to a quandary as they would be too few and overwhelmed with work.
He said it was therefore of paramount importance that President Lungu considered the appointment of more judges to the Constitutional Court, who could help complete the requirements of a substantive judiciary, with regards to the Constitutional Court.
Mr Mumbi charged that such imbalances in the judiciary had the potential to meant that some cases would drag because of the small number of judges expected to handle all the cases.
“The shortfall of judges where we only have six when the court requires 13 judges especially at constitutional level affects the governance of the nation and also Zambians at large.
“So my appeal to the President is that let him consider judges from the High Court and Promote them to the Constitutional court, and such appointments can open up the judiciary for new judges amongst the many lawyers with ambitions to getting invited to the bench,” he said.
Mr Mumbi said with a fullfledged Constitutional Court, it would be good for the people, for the governance of the nation and that “it also protects our values as a nation unlike leaving a court as important as a Constitutional Court in the arms of six people.”