CHIEF Justice Irene Mambilima says the judiciary is not compromised but acts independently.
Speaking to journalists shortly after officiating at the launch of the Court Reporters Association of Zambia, Mrs Justice Mambilima said nobody tells the judiciary how to decide cases.
“Cases are decided according to the law. Not even myself has the mandate to interfere in any case or can talk to any magistrate concerning a case before them. Magistrates, including local court magistrates, make independent decisions based on the law,” Mrs Justice Mambilima said.
Mrs Justice Mambilima said she is aware of the attacks on the judiciary but advised those aggrieved with certain judgments to appeal as the law provides for such.
She said there are checks and balances which the aggrieved can use.
And Justice Mambilima said court reporters play a critical role in the timely delivery of justice.
She said the introduction of real-time court reporters has brought a significant change in the speedy disposal of cases.
Mrs Justice Mambilima said real-time court reporters have also added efficiency in the recording of court proceedings and producing verbatim records of proceedings.
“Real-time court reporters were successfully trained and at least these met the minimum requirement to effectively and efficiently service the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal and High Court and occasionally the Subordinate Court,” Mrs Justice Mambilima said.
She was speaking yesterday during the launch of the Court Reporters Association of Zambia (CRAZ).
Mrs Justice Mambilima said in 2008, the judiciary and the Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) signed an agreement on the computerisation of the court, an agreement aimed at increasing efficiency.
She said the computerisation of the judiciary had a number of key components and milestones, and of relevance has been the training of court staff in the newly-adopted computerised and automated courtrooms.
Mrs Justice Mambilima said the judiciary, despite having a tight budget, has continued to prioritise the training of real-time court reporters.
“The establishment of the Court Reporters Association of Zambia is a big milestone in enhancing the performance of our court reporters and ultimately ensuring quick disposal of cases,” she said.
CRAZ president Kambole Ng’andu said the establishment of the association will enable Zambian court reporters to be affiliated to international training institutions.
Mr Ng’andu said there are 85 real-time court reporters in the country.
Nation of clowns!!!
Indeed!!!!
Judiciary system has been compromised in Zambia; she knows that.She is just trying to protect her job at the same time enjoying the corruption proceeds of Chakolwa Kadansa Kamwendo Lungu…
Its undeniable fact that judiciary is independent.
If there was no independence HH would have not been acquitted in any of the offenses.
However, knowing how unreasonable UPND cadres and their small god HH are, they always call judges names when they lose a case and praise them when they are found innocent.
HH is so unstable that if you gave him a day to rule Zambia he would be going forward in the morning and reverse in the evining – he lacks honest and consistent.
What has the Chief of Justice got to say about lungu NOT stepping down during the petition hearing?
As long as the CJ is appointed by the president, without any other ratification by parliament, s/he can never be impartial.
Zambian judiciary is rotten to the core.
– We have Justice Mathew Ngulube, a recipient of Zamtroop bribes from FTJ, well know PF cadres like Sunday Nkonde, Simusamba being allocated cases involving Post & UPND.
– Chief Justice turns a blind eye to allegations of judges being bribed by politicians, by the rich. You can bribe a court clerk to “lose” your docket in Zambia.
– Judiciary is being used to fight political fights.
– Who can forget the Concourt (Kang-court) disgrace?
– The back-log of cases in an injustice on its own. You spend 3 years in remand…
CONT’D…
– The back-log of cases in an injustice on its own. You spend 3 years in remand because of adjournment after adjournment. Even if you are found not guilty, your career, family, reputation, health etc. become ruined forever.
Zambian judiciary needs to be revamped like in Kenya & Ghana. Nation of Clowns indeed!!
Why that waiter standing right there listening to classified information. I hate Zambian modern culture. Just leave tea on table, they will pour themselves.
A Weak Chief Justice Mambilima with a weak wicked president with dictatorial tendencies is the last thing Zambia needs
In such a challenging time we need a strong CJ who has ethics & morals, not a horse-pleaser. Best she retires. She has made enough money. Her weakness has ushered in a visionless dictator who will take us 50 years backwards.
Soon she’ll rule in favour of 3rd term for the visionless, weak kadansa president & then terms will be changed to 7 years meaning lungu will be in office till 2028. As 2028 approaches, limit to number of terms served by a president will be scrapped to make lungu a life president.
The backlog of cases is an abuse of human rights by the rotten justice system. If HH’s treason-traffic offence case which has been “fast-tracked” has taken so long, what more for ordinary citizens?
It’s time for tired CJ mambilima to retire in peace. She has nothing new to offer other than to enrich herself.
Finshi mambilima alebilima?
@Maloza.
Have you reported the bribe of a court clerk to lose the docket to the Anti-Corruption Commission?
No, you haven’t. You do not have the evidence and are merely speculating on hearsay and you want the State to act on your itch?
Hope she will be there when Lungu is taken to court for breaking the constitution by not stepping down when the petition was filed, This is a case hanging on EL’s head and he knows it that the law will visit him once out of office but alas the chief boot leaker Mabilima says the opposite, Who wakes up a judge at 03 to get a court order.
Well Chief Justice Mambilima what you say may hold truth to within your circles but it is the perception doing the rounds among the general public that you have to address to redeem yourselves!
Madam, you could just have talked about Court Reporters and how you intend to improve their working conditions instead of lying through your teeth unnecessarily. Preserve the little credibility people have in you.
This woman has become a PF carder. When we say Lungu is an embarrassment surrounded by embarrassments. This is what we mean. Surely Madam when a number of PF carders like Chanda have clearly stated that they will use the court to fix HH you come out and make such noise. When will country get people of quality in influential positions. No wonder the judiciary is rotten. The so called iron lady is now a jelly lady.
Answering a question that was not asked….no longer at ease the centre cannot hold
Mambilima is finally exposing herself. It is the same nonsense she said at ECZ that the parties that attended her election briefings participated in the rigging with her. This woman is not as innocent or humble as she portrays. She is a filthy crook. Lungu has bought her 3 new cars and given her lots of money since 2015. Does she really think it is her normal emoluments?
Mambilima will never find her mojo, after making that statement concerning the 2015 elections.
“but advised those aggrieved with certain judgments to appeal as the law provides for such.”
Does it? Or is this “Chief Justice” talking out of her A.S.S.?
Where is an APPEAL on a ConCourt judgement filed?
Absolutely true! The woman is really an ar.sewhore, pig headed, corrupt and outright incompetent! In her defence, the sh.it woman said:
1. “those aggrieved with certain judgments to appeal as the law provides” – this wouldn’t change anything cos the appeal would still go to incompetent judges. The Post appealed for the corrupt judge to recuse himself but up to now Mambwilima, the mother of incompetence is sitting on that appeal with her ar.se without making a decision
2. ” Mrs Justice Mambilima said nobody tells the judiciary how to decide cases” – but who how did those 3 Concourt judges change their mind? Yes, after Lungu and Chimbwilima told them.
3.”the computerisation of the judiciary had a number of key components and milestones” – I didn’t know that those judges have…
The CJ lost my respect in the manner she handled the tribunal request on Dora. She acted unconstitutionally and therefore doesn’t deserve to hold the office or maybe she’s Chief Injustice
she is corrupt.she couldn’t even defend LAZ when it was being persecuted by Chagwa and his pf team…
It’s the Supreme Leader HH of the UPND who always calls names and insults the Judges with impunity when he loses in court… but he praises them when he wins the case… The simple logic is that the Supreme Leader himself is a dictator and now he thinks everyone is like him…
@Zakeyo, your mind is also corrupt just like your mother(CJ)…
@ Directionless you’re indeed directionless just as your Supreme Leader HH of the UPND…The truth really hates hence the insults…
Since the Concourt Petition debacle the Courts have become compromised. Many Judges are no longer acting Professionally but on instructions from the Executive Arm of Govt. During the Concourt Petition Hearing Lungu refused to step down in favour of the Speaker of Parliament. This is a clear abrogation of the Zambian Constitution. What did the Chief Justice do about it?Did the CJ swear in Lungu or not? What is the Role of the CJ in the Zambian Judiciary? Judges are accountable to who? A judge refuses to recuse himself in a Case and the CJ remains quiet. The CJ is accountable to who? The Fish rots from the Head downwards. The Judiciary in Zambia is compromised and no longer independent or professional of the Appointing Authority. The CJ is burying her head in the sand like an Ostrich.
@ Mwansa, its true what you are saying
The truth is the courts are divided as the people of Zambia and no doubt about this. Some things are just difficult to talk about but they are happening and those behind such things know that they are compromised because were bought.
This woman is enjoying life and she is the one that is compromised…the lady is treated like a queen. Gone is the nonsense Chairwoman who was at ECZ. I simply dont get with some people if I reach that age seriously I would not be easily bribed by such perks…has been tamed she may as well sit next to that silly useless woman Bo Inonge.
The Chief Justice is a let down and a mockery to the Zambian Judiciary. ECL broke the constitution by refusing to hand over to the speaker during the election petition and she remained mute. She is utterly morally bankrupt and deserves to be dismissed.
Why do you clowns always think doing unconstitutional things is normal. Hand over power to speaker for what. Just read and understand the constitution. Gbm was daring the police to arrest him also since he was also in mongu but upon hearing that the treason case is from 20th October he ran away with an excuse of a knee because he knows his boss us 100% guilty. HH has no defence on this one thats why even his lawyers didn’t want the matter to reach high court. State has overwhelming evidence against him enough to clamp him. That mongu incident is not even among the very reasons holding him in prison.
She should just shut up..she is one of the reasons the country is in the state it is in right now…I have lost confidence in her and the rest of her team…do us favor Lusaka Times don’t show us her face again I just puked in my pants…..
UPND cry babies, wicked hearted just because they are not in power everything is wrong. May God change them.You are sickening.
The rotten judiciary is the cause of the crisis we are in now
– Remember how Chief Justice Anel Silungwe was exposed for bias after acquiting KK’s son for killing his Ex-GF?
– Remember how Chief Justice Matthew Ngulube (a Malawian) was exposed for refusing FTJ (a Kassai) to be DNA tested with his alleged real father Kafupi & verify that he’s a Kassai & not eligible to be president due to a law he himself enacted to bar KK (a malawian). Later it was found that he got bribes from FTJ through Zamtroop account
– Remember how the High Court judges were bribed by lungu in the fight for PF presidency by lungu vs Sampa.
Lies have a way of coming out. Soon her bribe dealings will be revealed, whether the money transfers were done in Mongolia or Switzerland or Dubai.
The courts are compromised only in the eyes of HH and his cohorts.
Abused and misused word cohorts. Kapipe chikanyox.
@ ndanje khakis…
KK was not alone when he oppressed Zambians for 27 years with his one party dictatorship. He was cheered along & supported by the likes of you, a compromised judiciary, a rubberstamp parliament & UNIP cadres. Some committed crimes in his name without his knowledge just like the brutal PF police can torture citizens even without lungu’s orders. Even Kim Jong Un has die-hard brain-washed supporters like you
It’s unfortunate that no Truth & Reconciliation Commission was established to identify & punish/pardon KK’s co-accused.
That’s why now some sections of zambians think they can take us back to One-party dictatorship coz they know that they won’t get punished for their crimes of oppression.
@divide and rule ….whatever level of education you’ve got is wasted. And you hope to form government with such foul mouths? You call PF members ba kaponyas but from your posts you fall far below a Kaponya. Go back to your village and start afresh how to interact with people of diverse opinions. You just exposed how bad your government can be.
@ Lungu -Mulungu. You’re wrong to accuse me of hero worshipping KK …first you don’t know whether I was yet born when KK was in power ..second I know that magistrates and others in judiciary are just human beings among which you may find rotten eggs. Thirdly I believe the only time you’ll appreciate the judiciary is when the ruling goes your way no matter whether it’s right or wrong.
@ Ndanje Khakis. Now we know that you were in 1996.That is why you speak s.h.i.t.Grow up!
The compromised courts are the one dealing with their tribal leader and hope to release him. I dont know what name they will label the judiciary if they release hh. Its the same as saying i will not accept the results if i lose. In a competition there are two results lose or win. Its either you lose or win . If you cant accept lose better not to enter the competition simple.
The courts in Zambia are trying to meet the challenges of the day. The biggest problem is human beings. With sin prevailing in our midst , the courts like any institution have made mistakes .
True Justice shall prevail when JESUS come. Our hope must be on JESUS. JESUS give proper justice…. HIS WILL prevail over the world courts of justice…..
In the meantime , man’s justice is not absolute. Men shall be jailed either for wrong reason or right reason. To exalt our courts that they are above reproach is to deceive ourselves . Man is fallible so is his manner of dispensing justice…
You are a lier madam Chief justice! Useless!
Chief Justice Irene Mambilima rigged the 2015 By-Election for Lungu and was bribed for that. In addition she was promoted to Chief Justice in return for favours she gave to Lungu. Irene Mambilima pretends that she did not swear Lungu as President but she did. Mambilima is deeply involved in the rot that is taking place in the Courts today. U can all see that Irene Mambilima,RB, Lungu, KZ , Mumbi Phiri etc are all members of Kumozi Kumawa Group. The Judiciary under Mambilima and Lungu’s watch is completely compromised by Lungu illegitimate Presidency. Zambians are not fools. They can see thru Mambilima’s treachery. God is watching all this injustice.
Some of you accusing the courts of being compromised could be among those who bribe courts to win cases
Sometimes silence is golden than just ranting anyhow.
UPND is most corrupt party just see how they have been corrupting people to talk bad about our country.