Legal crisis -97% of ZIALE candidates failed
Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education results are out. And they are pathetic. Out of over 200 candidates only 6 managed to pass the legal practice exams. Another six of repeaters have passed. Now this number translates to a meager 3% pass rate. The next number is even more worrying, upsetting actually. Ninety-seven per cent of all candidates have failed. Nothing should define a crisis in the legal system than this pathetic failure ratio. Indeed, with a pass rate this low and a failure rate so high, the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education should rightly be called the Institute of Advanced Legal Failures or something to that effect. The collateral effect of this deplorable pass rate at ZIALE is that instead of leading to legal excellence, this institution will lead Zambia into legal extinction, into doldrums. The numbers just don’t add up.
Currently, Zambia has about 800 lawyers. Applying this number to our general population means that there is only one lawyer for every 20,000 of us. If all lawyers were to be spread across the country and evenly distributed in the depth and breadth of Zambia, there will be a distance of about 250-kms between each lawyer. What this means is that there is just not enough lawyers in Zambia to go round. The lawyer to population ratio is just too high. This is unsustainable in the long run.
Perpetuation of Lawyer shortage by ZIALE is a hinderance to democratic governance
Legal access is a fundamental element of the rule of law. Zambia cannot achieve adequate justice without adequate legal representation for its people. From Mongu to Milenge and from Chipata to Chavuma, remand prisons are full of our people who are incarcerated, without bail, because they do not have access to adequate legal representation. This is pathetic and a betrayal of the fundamental provisions of the rule of law. And instead of helping heal this gap in the lawyer population, one wonders why ZIALE should continue to perpetuate lawyer shortage.
With this failure rate, if ZIALE were the regulator of medical doctors, government and indeed the population would have long reacted. Indeed, if ZIALE were the regulator or examiner of nurses, the population would have long noticed and this wholesale failure would not have been tolerated a single day. I still wonder why in spite of this tragedy in the number of lawyers, ZIALE should be permitted or even allowed to be passing a meager six lawyers per examination period. Something must change.
In our democracy, the supply for lawyers is not a benevolent offering of a few lawyers. It is an imperative of good democratic governance. In fact, just as we demand for medical doctors to fill our clinics, so should we demand for more lawyers to fill our chambers. Without lawyers, the rule of law becomes a pipe dream only available to the bourgeoisie of Lusaka.
There are some eminent persons among us, who argue that ZIALE is doing well in regulating how many people get into law so as to limit the number of lawyers. With due respect, this argument can only be sustained if indeed we were dealing with an oversupply of lawyers. Reality sharply contradicts this line of thought. Zambia does not have an oversupply of lawyers; it has an undersupply of them. It is, therefore, ridiculous to suggest that ZIALE should continue to trickle down a few lawyers each year in a society that already needs hundreds of lawyers each year. It is consequently, nonsense, to argue that we have too many lawyers. I actually cannot see how one lawyer for every 20,000 people can become an oversupply.
Another issue that should be dismissed with contempt is the erroneous idea that most of the law graduates who go to ZIALE are in fact of low calibre. Indeed this argument could be sustainable only if it is a few failures we are dealing with. In this case, it is not a few failures we are dealing with but rather almost all of our brightest. It is bizarre to think that almost all of Zambia’s LLB graduates, from both UNZA and other private universities, are in fact of such low calibre that only 6 or 10 of them are worthy to become lawyers. It just does not make sense at all.
All the other excuses that ZIALE has been using are just as pitiful. ZIALE and its council should have run out of excuses by now. The ordinary people of Zambia want answers. Someone must put a stop to the baloney that is going on at ZIALE. The excuses such as lack of accommodation for students make no sense too. There should be no relationship between student accommodation and this pathetic failure rate. ZIALE should reform or it should be disbanded.
There is a very worrying tendency, even among practicing lawyers, to treat law as a fundamental preserve of a few. Indeed, this tendency or philosophy should have been truer to the old tired regime of the First or Second Republics. In the Third Republic, each citizen of our great nation owns a part of the legal destiny of our country. And no one institution should hold hostage the legal development of our country to please a few somewhat selfish individuals that want to keep a tight rein on the law profession.
What then should be done about ZIALE?
The ZIALE scandal should not be left in the hands of lawyers alone. Lawyers are by nature risk averse. They are trained to not take risks. Calculation and over-carefulness are the caricature of all legal education. Lawyers alone will not reform ZIALE. Indeed some are unwilling to. Had they wanted to do so, they would have prevailed upon the powers that be to change the law or do something about it. But no, they won’t, even if it means overstretching themselves over a distance of 250-kms purporting to do an impossible feat of serving 20,000 people each day.
Zambia’ Attorney General is in a unique position to influence change in the legal fraternity. Doing this however, could come with a political risk for her. We must support and prevail upon the Attorney General and other politicians to prevail upon parliament to bring changes to ZIALE. The Attorney General plays an important role in our democracy. Importantly, she is the leader of the Zambian bar. But more than that she is the principal legal representor of the juristic public interest. As a quasi-politician, the AG should be more aware of the political pressure exerted by the people. It is at this level where those demanding changes at ZIALE can begin. The crisis at ZIALE should be moved from being a pure legal issue to become a wider crisis that threatens the public interest and the growth of our democracy. With political pressure, ZIALE can be reformed.
Current law students can also join the thousands of ZIALE failures to do something. To demonstrate along Cairo Road and perhaps make some noise along Great East Road and bring visibility to this issue. Additionally, all law students and graduates in Zambia could one year boycott ZIALE. Send no application there. Send a clear message. It cannot be a fair process that which collects billions of Kwacha in fees only to select the lucky six for law licenses. Action should begin now.
There is 1 lawyer for every 20,000 of Zambian.
I am curious though to find out what professors at ZIALE really teach their students as to account for this low pass rate. Do they teach them in Hebrew only to examine them in Greek? Indeed, it is either these law graduates are so dull or it is to the professors we must direct this criticism. Zambia will be better and greater with a few more lawyers in it. But with the failure rate at ZIALE so high we shall continue to have 20,000 of us chase the skirts or robes of one lawyer. And the problem is that there are just not enough skirts or robes to go round.
By Elias Munshya wa Munshya
Source:’Elias Munshya wa Munshya Culture, Politics, Law & Theology‘
Shame.But these are the same I.d.iots driving the latest Range Rovers!
Munshya why do you want to heap all the blame ZIALE for the pathetic results, how about the quality of candidates themselves?
Maybe with such failure rates, ubufi from lawyers kuti bwachepana…… Lawyers the least trusted professionals to walk this earth
I CAN SUE YOU FOR DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER,SLANDER AND WANT DAMAGES OF ZMW2,000,000 FOR THIS STATEMENT
Gen, actually if you’re a good teacher then failures should be the exception rather than the norm. I think that’s the overall point.
Munshya! Shame on you! Are you not able to see the lowering standards of Zambian education? Instead of attacking ZIALE look at a bigger picture you moron with a degree from correspondence education from Northumbria University you think you can pass at ZIALE. Your writing is pathetic and intellectually misleading.
Qualifications of being a lawyer in Zambia is that you should be a con man. These guys con clients by going behind them and plan with the likely to be accused persons on how they can delay justice and make the complainant pay more. I have vowed never to use a lawyer in life. The best I do is keep my self away from trouble and leave a quite life. Lawyers esp Zambian lawyers are fake. Think twice before u decide to engage one. They will make sure they milk u even if the case is simple and in your favour.
Elias Munshya wa munshya, Has a point and need serious attention; The reason why his emphasis on the Attorney General and the Justice minister to table a ZIALE draft reforms to the government (Cabinet). Seriously times have changed and population now at almost 14million, ZIALE needs urgent reformation to match demand.
Gone are those days, when Lawyers especially those on the bar was a preserve of the few,-class society protected by those privileged.
Demography has changed, so is the population and the need for more lawyers, more service provision-good for the economy too. How can the government, provide justice in the 10 districts with such low numbers of Legal practitioners and legal providers? Or ZIALE is out to frustrate Government policy on Justice decentralization to districts?
You cant do law through distance learning and expect to pass at ZAILE OPEN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES NON OF THEM PASSED
Iwe munshya, firstly, the AG IS A MAN!!! The Acting CJ is the woman!!!
Noma, what is you argument? IF THEY ARE DULL, THEY SHOULD RIGHTLY FAIL!!
Standards SHOULD NOT BE LOWERED JUST TO PLEASE YOU OR ME ON PAPER!!!
What you are alleging is that DOCTORS are made to PASS becoz the country needs them – WRONG!!! DOCTORS PASS THEIR EXAMS BECOZ THEY WORK HARD TO MAKE IT!!! THAT IS WHY THEY ARE MARKETABLE ABROAD!!
@Fake Z lawyers
I cannot agree with you more. Scumbag lawyers, most of them are. Dirty rotten scoundrels and devil is not taking them fast enough!
The honest truth is, ZIALE is actually protecting Zambians from these incompetent opportunists. Their preparation before entering ZIALE is where the problem is. I am afraid poor quality of education in Zambia has not spared the Zambian law schools. ZIALE is in no uncertain terms saying, ‘you are ill prepared.’ And most of them are not, really.
Tired of this garbage! Call yourselves topflight lawyers, but can’t resolve a simple $400 dollar case for 12 years and you call yourself a lawyer?! Holding up access to millions. Bullsh1t!
Fail them! Disbar them!
If KABIMBA and membe passed how can these pipo fail. After all law students at my university are considered dull. Pharmacists, Doctors and engineers are first class, you can have 40 points if you have cash you can get a place to study law at cavendish university and worse off if u just know how to speak you can still defend yourself without a lawyer.
Its ok, most lawyers are thieves. So why should we produce more of them?
I have always asked if rupiah’s lawyer, one Robert Amsterdam can pass an exam at ZIALE.
It simply shows that lecturers at ZIALE are not serious. They are given students who pass with good results at UNZA and other Institutions but they end up messing them up and fail them in the process. The fact is must of those lawyers at ZIALE are also practising, so they spend more time doing their business than teaching. I agree, PF should disband the useless ZIALE and change the name. More and serious lawyers should be employed to teach our hard working students.
WE MAKE THEM FAIL ON PURPOSE BECAUSE WE WANT TO CONTROL LAWYERS WITH PRACTICE LICENCES.IF THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM ,THEY CAN KILL THE BUSINESS,SO FEW PEOPLE PASS AND THE FEW CAN OWN LAW FIRMS AND ENJOY LEGAL FEES.LOGICALLY IF ALL PASSED THE LEGAL FEES WOULD BE SO CHEAP HENCE WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO BUY OUR LATEST RANGE ROVERS.GET IT
Your statement would hold if no one passed? I know some of the lawyers in Zambia. I often wonder from under what rock they crept into the practice…total id1ots. Most of them.
Much as Ziale is trying hard to limit the number of lawyers to avoid saturation and eventual lose of market value for this profession, i also think the increasing number of sub standard universities offering law degrees are to blame .I have seen a situation where these new private universities are accepting students who had bad high school results to do law.Gone are those days when a person had to get atleast 6-15 points to get into university.These days you find students with more than 20 points doing law at universies like Cavendish,Lusaka university and the other private univeristies now on the market.It is not about quantity but quality that Ziale must be worried about.Keep it up Ziale !!!
I had 38 points yet I passed the bar exam
@Ndemunthu….really ? Lucky you.Maybe you should teach some of the failures your secret.Lol
All Universities have minimum entry requirements. The Zambian point system is used to control the number of students that can be admitted to public universities and colleges the same way ZIALE is limiting the number of qualifying lawyers. Its not that many people are failing to qualify from ZIALE but ZIALE has set the pass mark at 100%. The minimum entry requirements for one to persue university education is usually 5 O level passes including English. With the opening of private universities more people have the opportunity to access university education. This does not mean that they do not qualify. Again the ZIALE case is extreme. Indeed nowadays only the best go to UNZA but to have only three of these qualify from ZIALE is indeed pathetic. Something is wrong here.
@Sunrise ofcouse the point system for university admission has those minimum requirements ,but the unwritten rule is that one must have had been a bright student in high school to do law.The private universities are to blame because of the caliber of the graduants they are churning out of their doors.It is disheartening to some of us who went to Unza due to hard work in high school.Now every Jim and jack with money can go to Lusaka university do law and then enter a Ziale bar exam and if he or she fails he heaps the blame on them when he or shevhas always been a low iq student.Saulosi is right.
@ Saulosi, What is the minimum university entry qualification in Zambia? simple answer 5 O’levels including maths and english. For law you dont even need maths. the 6 points for unza entry was out of crisis, no other university offered law. Maybe except for Havard or the top 10 universities in the world, but 5 o’levels can get you in any global law school
But this trend of failures existed long before Ziale was opened up to the other new universities. So this contention is misguided.
@Saulosi you are right to some extent. Your argument would hold strong if it was only students from private universities failing but it is not. The matter is a combination of some low quality students, some low quality lecturers and a deliberate effort by the old guns to protect their turf (avoiding competition). You will be surprised to learn that a number of senior lecturers at UNZA also teach law at private universities. They give the students relatively similar homework and exams and they do well. Moreover I saw in my days at UNZA that getting 6 points in G12 does not guarantee one A+s. I saw 6 pointers either struggle or fail along the way.
At least a 15% – 25% quota system could be adopted, if only to maintain normal standards and to render economic viabiltilty to the profession – a 3% (sic) pass rate is certainly too low and is actually counter productive! A study be carried out to establish a balance among quantity, quality and economic considerations and concerns for this profession. At the rare we are going, the situation is an affront to the rule of law and principle of separation of powers necessary in our quest for democratic governance.
Ziale officials must be ashamed of this. I have never seen a bunch of selfish so called intellectuals – in question. To me they are coward, afraid of the unknown. Wake up Zambia. You are killing your own country. This is sad indeed. I’m an educationist and my objective is to see the young ones joining me.
Iam very disappointed with the writer of this article unless you are saying at ziale there is no grading like pass,credit,merit and dist. If this is the case then GRZ must intervene,but if those dudes are failing to get even a pass then their degrees are fake.
If you weigh engineering, medicine to law you will find that law is easy to learn including minimum entry requirements. If lawyers were like pilots & doctors who handle lives of human beings I would agree ,but a lawyer who just puts doubt in the mind of a magistrate on behalf of the criminal can be subjected to such exaggerated examz ! Why are there more engineers/technocrats than lawyers who just memorise law like the Bible without CRITICAL thinkin..no calculus????
Iwe HH, law does not only deal with crime. There are other important legal issues that courts preside over. Contracts worth millions of dollars, estates, custody, etc.
It is this limited way of looking at things that kills us in Zambia.
You have a point there. I agree also that ZIALE should not be blamed for wanting to keep up with international/professional standards. If law students are getting the short end of the stick at UNZA and makeshift Universities, you expect them to struggle with professional standard exams.
It is erroneous to say only six passed, ziale exams are designed to be passed on three attempts, that’s when a candidate can be said to have failed and get barred for five years from writing any ziale exams. Secondly, the six are the ones who passed all the eleven courses but we have a number of those who in ony one or two who will surely resit and pass in November for the February call day. Most people fail specific courses especially company law and probate, so it is not true that candidates fail to pass, check our facts
I think the point is, if only three people have passed at first attempt (YOU also need to check your facts) then this is a cause for concern. Continual denial of this is an act of gross imbecility.
I am very certain even a graduate from Harvard Law school can not pass Ziale exams.
If a candidate fails a single course out of the eleven, it is still a failure because they cannot graduate and be admitted to the bar! Whether it is one course or all the eleven courses failute, it still failure, all the same.
So, this progression rate must be looked at. It is scandalous!
Are you listening to yourself, Kerry?
Is the writer insinuating the lowering of standards here? We need to differentiate academically fueled pass rates and levels with professional dictates. As far as I know allowing a pass mark that is below 75% for a professional is suicidal. The less you DON’T know as a professional the more likely your competence will show!
An exam is a feedback to check whether students understood the subject matter and not a mechanism to ensure that only a few people graduate. This is counter productive. The country needs more educated people. A qualification is just a paper, what matters is how you use the knowledge gained to make society a better place.
Iye!!
Elias Munshya wa munshya, I understand your frustration because you failed to clear your bar examinations. there is nothing malicious at ZIALE. Students genuinely fail because of the way they approach the course, and Munshya wa Munshya is one of those that approached it wrongly. If we did it, then others can too! If you want to be a lawyer, you’ve got to think like a lawyer.
It’s sad that a Zambian can never raise legitimate concerns, without being called bitter or frustrated. The man is simply stating what, to the Zambian public, is quite obvious. Much of what you learn is on the job anyway, In any industry. So what’s their wahala?
This sad scenario obtains at UNZA school of Engineering. Zambians generally tend to erroneously think that standards are maintained by having so many people failing and only the chosen and a few lucky people passing any exam.
Compare the numbers of graduates in ACCA or CIMA at ZICAS and other institutions in Zambia with the number of Engineers in say Mechanical Engineering every year at UNZA and CBU and you will know what I am saying.
Is it only me who thinks that infact we’ve got way too many lawyers in Zambia. They’re t at every street corner with their faded dirt robes hanging every where.
Maybe I just don’t like them.
But Wynter Kabimba managed to pass Ziale exams with a distinction. I heard he was the best student in his days at Ziale. I stand to be corrected!
Well, well!! AND DOESN’T IT SHOW!!!!!!
This country has been messed by lawyers and politicians. And the melancholic circus continues. Lawyers vs lawyers in the LAZ vs C J & AG is sad case in point. Hot air will be breathed, allainces made and individual pockets filled while the nation’s attention is robbed from real issues of life and econmic survival.
My brother you have a BIG point. Lawyers and politicians have one thing in common: Their work thrives on winning an argument. It doesn’t matter whether when money is spent, we shall see deliverables. See how we have failed to write a constitution with all these Zambian lawyers who passed ZIALE exams at the helm of structures. See how much money was spent on task force on corruption, yet have we seen anything that was recovered? See how people like current CJ and Wynter are accomplices in the spate of bye elections despite the volumes of money involved, when there is no cash for a state of the art International Airport in Ndola/Lsk?
A Pedagogical audit of the structure of the ZIALE process would be best action
It’s not a secret that lawyers are highly paid in this country and they will do anything to keep the number small. Secondly ZIALE is making a lot of money from the professional exams so they will try as much as possible to make people fail so that they can continue earning money from candidates.
THAT’s the STATUS QUO AROUND THE WORLD!!! Finshi mule lilalila????
The student is blamed. Private Universities are blamed. ZIALE is blamed. Fundamental Questions:
How many students from private universities enter ZIALE and how many make it?
How many students from UNZA enter ZIALE and how many make it? UNZA students being brainy as claimed here – the numbers should be better – unless there issues elsewhere.
Does UNZA and other Universities follow curricular that are responsive to ZIALE needs?
Is the process of training lawyers in Zambia conforming with global trends?
Just asking!
Is ZIALE responsive to the needs of society?
wawa i agree with you, hence my comment earlier about the need for a Pedagogical Audit of ZIALE
No wonder the existing crop of lawyers is so unethical coz they know well that they just a few of them. This is all about protecting their pockets. I agree with Soap Opera, coz even a teacher with this king of failure rate should know that he is not teaching right..
This ZIALE issue has always baffled me. Firstly, regardless of what people say, 6 clearing all 11 heads out of 200 is a ridiculous pass rate…no one can justify it at all! YES..AGREED, there are plenty ‘low ranking university graduates there that may struggle, but it amazes me how people go on and on about how the pass rate ratio is so big because its not just UNZA law graduates that are allowed to go…UNZA is not the god of universities! There also many many more ziale candidates who have come in from all over the world from universities that rank WAY HIGHER THAN UNZA that still don’t make it! Infact, many brilliant UNZA students end up on the 5 year ban as well…surprise!! *to be continued*
Do you know that there are also people who cleared 6-10 points in grade 12 who CHOOSE to go to other private universities just because they can afford to? I AGREE that yes some of these private universities have contributed to a good number of lower performing candidates..but I’m sorry you cannot blame a 3% pass rate on that! The advantage UNZA students have is that they are used to the teaching styles at ziale for example studying hard is not enough…you need to study your 11 lecturers as well/chase them around the city to uncode their secret ”thought process” because if you don’t lay down a response how a particular lecture wants u to lay it down…u will not pass no matter how well u know ur stuff. Any former ziale student can tell u that that’s a fact. That should not be the…
So…in a nutshell I the issues are that 1 – they are very rigid with marking…grading and unfortunately candidates don’t do assignments/mock exams so their first experience is a final exam and they are never awarded an opportunity to be shown where they went wrong or how bad they did. They are so rigid that someone can pass 9 heads (out of 10) on first sitting and fail the same head 2 more times and be banned from trying for 5 years and come back to repeat Alll HEADS including the 1’s they passed…if u want to talk about ridiculous…THAT is ridiculous! I know for a fact that South africa, Nigeria…even Kenya have bigger numbers..and have people from all types of academic backgrounds that go to their respective bar schools and THEIR PASS RATES are nowhere near ours!! What makes our…
Legal profession so different/special? 2ndly if only 17 out of over 200 candidates (including repeaters) clear one head..it means the lecturer could not get through to 98% of the class…what does that say about that particular lecturer? Hmm? Lastly, the fees go up as the numbers grow..last year each of the 200 candidates paid about 13/14000 (I cud be wrong) and since only about 6 passed All the 194 remaining will be paying repeaters exam fees at K500 PER PAPER that they failed…do the math! The more people fail…the richer they become, I doubt they are sad to see such pass rates. God bless, NMB
@ NMB don’t lie. Maybe a very good private in US or other developed countries. Name one good private university in Zambia which attracts people with 6 points? Everybody with 6 points either goes to UNZA or CBU in Zambia. Others who are competitive go abroad through the bursaries committee scholarships given by other countries. Those with money go to good universities abroad period.
If you weigh engineering, medicine to law you will find that law is easy to learn including minimum entry requirements. If lawyers were like pilots & doctors who handle lives of human beings I would agree ,but a lawyer who just puts doubt in the mind of a magistrate on behalf of the criminal can be subjected to such exaggerated examz ! Why are there more engineers/technocrats than lawyers who just memorise law like the Bible without CRITICAL thinkin..no calculus????????
What do you expect with tutemba universties all over ? For example can you learn law by correspondence?Besides the quality of lecturers in these private universities
IF OTHERS DID IT, WHY DID THEY FAIL TO DID IT? IF THEY WERE UNFAIRLY MARKED, THERE SHD BE ROOM FOR THE AGGRIEVED TO APPEAL. LAWYERS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL NEED TO MEET INTERNATIONAL SET STANDARDS RATHER THAN NATIONAL/REGIONAL STANDARDS. EVEN 1% PASSING RATE OF LAWYERS WHO CAN COMPETE FAVOURABLY AT WORLD LEVEL IS A VERY BIG ACHIEVEMENT.
ONE NEEDED TO WORK EXTRA HARD
What are u by profession? Just curious.
Zambian exams are generally difficult to pass. There was an intake in accounting or Natech, Cost and Mnagement accounting papre, in which 177 students sat for exams 177 candidates failed, 0 passed. When the same students,taught by the same lectures, sit for CIMA, ACCA, CAT, AAT ,IMIS they pass with flying colours even coming out the best in the world. Who is to blame? It could be the examiner or the maker.
For ZIALE its a matter of creating a catel. If you look at the big wigs in the legal proffession those who make it at ZIALE, you will discover that, they are nephews, sisters,children, friends, friends children and so on and so on. The results speak volumes.
WTF….. is that even for real? With this modern world full of advanced technology were you can get study material free on the web, it need not be exactly on Zambian Law, i actually cant believe it what happenned, too much politiking and high life before books? What a shame, Law is a very easyand interesting study on top of that it is not as boring as studying natural sciences! Some thing is not right i cant believe it, nowonder we have one weather something masquarading as a law tornado in actual sense he is just a ….. finish for me please.
The blame is squarely on the ziale lecturers, students who enter this institution are the best who had done the best at unza and to have only 6 or 10 pass is not only obnoxious,frivorous, and vexitious but laziness of dont care pompous lecturers!
@ Mwansabemba,
I dont dig those grade Twelve points anymore, with so much in the open about Leaking, Matero certificates, i once heard that some people even got into UNZA just by paying some guys a three months salary! Things have to change with our educational system, otherwise, we will always be behind the international level.
they do not want competition from fresh blood
our own dull winter kabimba was best student in one year and yet he has not won a prominent case since. even in PF they are losing cases becoz of him. so then what is ZIALE for?
3% PASS RATE WORLD OVER IS INDEED PATHETIC IN ANY FIELD.BUT WHY DONT WE HAVE SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN OTHER SCHOOLS, eg MEDICINE,ENGINEERING,ACCOUNTS etc.SOMETHING IS CERTAINLY WRONG AT ZIALE,AND THE EALIER THE GOVT CORRECTS THE SITUATION THE BETTER.HONESTLY BANE HOW DO WE HAVE SUCH STATISTICS IN TERMS OF LAWYER TO GENERAL PUBLIC AT 1:20000.AWE BANE THIS IS QUESTIONABLE.
Lawyers are just like pastors. They both just memorise chapters and verses respectively. They both can not create their own laws but only quote what is written in the statutes and the bible. I therefore find the failure rate at ZIALE to be silly.
I often like articles from Elias Munshya because they are objective and raise good points. This one is does not, and its disappointing. Clearly Your reactions are emotional than rational. Urging students to r demonstrate because they have failed exams? This is the attitude you expect from future lawyers? You are also suggesting political interference in legal education, honestly? what kind of lawyer are you becoming? Justice requires quality representation, not just representation.
The pathetic pass rate as ZIALE is an indication of deplorable conditions in higher education as a whole. Zambian graduates from UNZA and makeshift Universities are not adequately prepared for professional exams. Most are taught by Masters Level lecturers who themselves need PhD education. What do you…
1. Almost all exams exist in order to regulate the number of those who proceed to the next level. Ever asked yourself about the cut off point at secondary school? For example if you have 100 grade 9 pupils siting for an exam and only have class room space for 60 grade 10 students, then the space you have will determine the cut off point. That is why you can pass and have a certificate but no class space in the next grade.
2. The writer has given a misleading ratio. Indeed it may be 800 lawyers against 14 million Zambians but NOT all the 14 million Zambians need the services of these few lawyers. Therefore, the regulation is not against 14 million but the few that need their services.
3. Generally, the whole Zambian education system needs an overhaul.
Interesting. Is it a business game where you keep prices are kept high by restricting supply no matter how those wanting to enter the market package themselves? This practice is referred to as technical and administrative barriers in international trade jargon. Surely what is so difficult about law? Someone in authority should in initiative an inquiry into this “scandal”. Its worthy the expense, much more beneficial to Zambia than a bye-election which only benefits an individual and a political party.
ZIALE is borgus period. That is not s true reflection of the brains that go there. The legal fraternity needs real competition. So all these accuses I have seeing being given here are just crap. Let us be real bane
If students won’t pass, the problem is with the teacher. You don’t expect those guys to produce more lawyers when they want fewer lawyers to maintain the shortage in the market so they can line their pockets. Disband ZIALE!
Wow all this really opens your eyes to the reality of the world of law.I’m writing my G12 finals and had the biggest hopes of pursuing law ever since i was 8 because to me no matter what anyone says about it being a very dirty profession and all, for me it’s about using your intellect and voice to stand up for those who in society who cannot.But hearing comments like ‘to be a lawyer,you have to think like a lawyer’ and seeing such atrocious pass rates just made me realise a bitter truth:to make it at a place like ZIALE has nothing to do with my passion for law or hardwork but just how much of an imagination i have at procurring unorthodox ways of passing these bar exams.It really just breaks my heart…
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ZIALE, we are still talking about reform 3% pass rate and they have the nerve to come up with excuses. As an aspiring lawyer who wants to work in Zambia, that figure is rather off putting. My understanding from speaking to various lawyers, partners, students, is that ZIALE itself isnt hard. WHY? this is because all the subjects you do are ones you did at undergraduate level, and ZIALE is simply there for you to apply what you have learnt. So how can a colossal 97% fail? We should ask ourselves the following questions:
1. Is it the teaching, and course structure?
2. Is ZIALE fully equipped to providing excellence as the only school to provide higher education
3. Who regulates ZIALE outside LAZ?