Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima calls for capacity building in the judiciary

Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima has called for capacity building in the judiciary in order to effectively dispense justice in various specialized divisions of the courts that the new 2016 Constitution has introduced. Justice Mambilima said judicial administration has become a distinctive field and as such Judges and support staff need to specialize in handling of cases. She says the judiciary should also embrace the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in case flow management to provide efficiency in the dispensation of justice in the country.

The Chief Justice says Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to prepare a prototype of case management to see areas of improvement in the judicial system in Zambia. She said the MOU among other things would require rollout of specific software to assist in the management and allocation of cases among the Judges. Justice Mambilima further commended the U.S. Federal Judicial Center for pledging to provide training needs assessment in an effort to build capacity to judicial members in the country.

Justice Mambilima said this when she and her delegation which included Constitutional Court Judge Mugeni Siwale Mulenga and other judicial staff paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s Ambassador to the U.S. His Excellency Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula, S.C. at the Embassy of Zambia in Washington D.C. This was after the delegation attended the annual Law, Justice and Development Week 2018 – Rights, Protection and Development organized by the World Bank in Washington D.C during the week.

The Chief Justice commended the World Bank for its commitment to prioritize infrastructure development for the Judiciary as outlined in the country’s 2017-2021 Seventh (7) National Development Plan. Justice Mambilima is delighted to note the World Bank is focusing on supporting human rights and protection in its development efforts around the world.

And Senior Vice-President and World Bank Group General Counsel Dr. Sandie Okoro in her message to the delegates that comprised of Chief justices, legal practitioners, civil society and other interest groups from member countries noted that the world is experiencing a surge in fragility, conflict and violence.

Dr. Okoro said an estimated 65.6 million people globally have fled their homes either as refugees, internally displaced persons, or asylum seekers as a result of conflict and persecution. She said human rights and development are deeply intertwined, and the World Bank Group would continue to support its members realize human rights in its efforts to better the lives of vulnerable people.