Day for Petitioners in Lusaka
THE Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission yesterday heard that the five-year ban on Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) students who fail three examinations should be abolished.
George Silonda submitted that the law banning students after attempting three examinations should not be entertained because it was segregative and shattered future dreams for would-be lawyers.
Mr Silonda said ZIALE students already had a qualification from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and that in an event that they failed ZIALE examinations for three times, it did not mean that they were dull but it was clear that the move was meant to avoid saturating the market.
He also proposed that ZIALE should come up with specialised courses because it currently has too many courses, making lawyers not to concentrate and ending up failing because the school has too much work.
“ZIALE should have specified people as lecturers, examiners and people to specifically mark. As it is, it is compromising because the same people are lecturing, setting examinations and marking the same exams,” Mr Silonda said.
The petitioner also submitted that ZIALE should allow more tuition centres to be opened while it remained an examination centre.
I agree that Ziale’s role should be either a training instittion like ZCAS whilst the examination function should be reposed in the Examination Wing of LAZ as happens with ZICA.
Accountants speak and controls lie in segregation of duties. It is not correct to have the same person (1) teach (2) set and mark assignments (3) set and determine final examination (4) decide marking standard (5) mark (6) moderate marks (7) decide number of passes which in most cases are less than FIVE percent. So for instance, the just ended sitting had over 250 hopefuls. Those that will make it are less than FIFTEEN. This is my prophecy.
The difficulty Ziale has is that its lecturing cadre are top practicing lawyers and thus the view that they are protecting the market from new entrants!
Ludicrous
They fail three times they shouldn’t be lawyers
The rule is fine and should really be an indefinite ban
The statement is encouraging mediocrity in the law fraternity for me.
Thanks
I greatly conquer with the article from Salamat.ZIALE should not focus on the saturation of the market but should think of making that we have enough laywers for the Zambian people.Look at the way we have accountants,marketers and engineers all of them are being trained from UNZA CBU and ZICAS and the nation is developing quickly.Let the law be put in place allowing ziale to onlt set the exams and we should have more institutions training lawyers.
the most arbitrary and corrupt training and examination body ever. and quality control. what quality control. bena ngabaimina fye ati iyo year niumo fye ukapasa ninshi nifyo fine. nangu bacite shani bwino abantu
Rather than do away with the five year ban, I would propose that it stays, but students should be allowed to carry their credits when they re-enrol. On the other hand, rather than banning candidates for five years the law should require them to clear the course within say 6 years from enrolment, after which they should lose their credits. Alternatively, we could reintroduce the ranks of “Solicitor” and “Barrister” so that those who fail to clear a certain number of courses in say, 6 years can work as solicitors.
The Right To Education is a universal right enshrined in Human Rights for each individual. Surely this legal body should know that. In many countries, lawyers can keep attempting their bar exams periodically. Failing an exam can be caused by other factors in a students life. This article clearly suggests conflicting multiple course units might contribute. Finally, the outlay on costs for these African students must be an indicator to their aspirations to be responsible citizens. They have to remove the ban. In the alternative the students should use their intelligence and file a human rights court case against the legal body in an international court to embarrass this body of its shameful breach of a universal right worldwide.
Abolish ZIALE and liberalize institutions!
ZIALE is just serving the selfish interests of a few top do.gs!
Very backward indeed!
ZIWALE actually renders the UNZA Law school and other law schools irrelevant!
It is dangerous to want to perpetuate only one school of thought!
This can explain why our Judiciary is dead!
Indeed you need to be a YES BWANA to graduate from ZIALE!
I rest my case!