A petitioner, Obed Mukwala has submitted before the Frederick Chomba-led Commission at Lusaka’s Chilenje Community Hall that the law on defamation of the President should also be abolished because it was archaic and discriminatory.
He instead recommended that the Commission should come up with a different law that would only allow for a fine once one was found guilty and not a custodial sentence which was currently obtaining.
“I know that the President is a respected person in society and that anyone found abrogating the law on the President should be arrested for defaming the President, but this is infringing on people’s rights of freedom of expression, it should be abolished forthwith,” Mr Mukwala said.
Mr Mukwakwa also submitted that the Supreme Court should not be allowed to refer back cases to the lower court for re-trial because it was considered as the last court of appeal and must deliver the last judgment and not referring back cases as it delayed matters and was a waste of time.
Brian Kuwema submitted that the Commission should introduce CCTV cameras in court, police and prisons to monitor the level of human rights as well as the progress made by the courts.
Mr Kuwema told the Commission that lawyers should stop wearing wigs because they were intimidating and should also move with technology and start using laptops and ipads instead of heavy briefcases.
He said the behaviour of the Drug-Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers when searching suspects was so intimidating and left many people injured and, in the process, making citizens fear to report any case to them.
The Court must, I submit:
a. Allow use of recording devices to aid court recorders and the authority (Magistrate and Judge)
b. Install CCTV cameras for future reference
c. Allow journalists to record proceeding using electronic devices (although the law of evidence re future witnesses must be considered)
Zambians don’t seem to know what they want. When the president stood up to defend himself in court against alleged malice and slander, the same people cried that the president should not do that. What recourse does he then have to people infringing on his freedoms. This petitioner is crying for his rights to infringe on other peoples writes.
Spartan please keep quite
My goodness I didn’t even know it existed…
Since when was the law enacted….the law on defamation of the President. Is this for real???
Can it be applied retroactively? I mean someone who insulted KK, LPM, FTJ, RB be arrested for having insulted them in the past…I think so… One particular person comes to mind….
For goodness sake, who dresses the President? The shirt cuffs are too way below the jacket, I am just saying!!!
Hahahaha..I love it lawyers should start using laptops and ipads not heavy briefcases
But then, can someone educate me what this commission is all about, how different is it from the constitution review commission and what are its objectives?