LAZ Faces Internal Pressure as Members Petition for Emergency Meeting

LAZ Faces Internal Pressure as Members Petition for Emergency Meeting

A group of members of the Law Association of Zambia has formally petitioned the association’s council, calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting to address concerns about the organisation’s perceived involvement in partisan political matters. The petition, delivered to the LAZ Honorary Secretary, asks the council to urgently convene the meeting and allow members to debate the association’s public posture during ongoing national discussions around constitutional reform and the activities of the Oasis Forum.

The petitioners noted that LAZ, by law and tradition, is expected to maintain strict professional neutrality and avoid taking positions that may be interpreted as aligning with political actors. They argued that the association’s recent engagement with the Oasis Forum, a civil society alliance that has been vocal on matters concerning Bill 7, has raised questions among members about whether the association continues to operate within the limits of its mandate.

Signatories to the petition stated that the issue was not the Oasis Forum’s right to advocate on constitutional matters, but whether LAZ’s visible association with the grouping could be misunderstood as institutional endorsement of a specific political position. They said this perception risked weakening public confidence in the association’s independence at a time when constitutional reform is under heightened scrutiny.

The petitioners asked the LAZ council to clarify the association’s official position, provide a detailed account of its engagements with the Oasis Forum, and explain the basis on which public statements attributed to LAZ were issued during the ongoing national debate. They said only a properly convened Extraordinary General Meeting could allow members to examine the allegations transparently, evaluate the association’s recent actions, and determine whether corrective steps were needed.

A second issue raised in the petition concerned what members described as LAZ’s decision to “take a stance” on the constitutional amendment process without consulting the broader membership. The petitioners argued that LAZ’s commentary on Bill 7 had been interpreted as leaning towards a particular view within a polarised national context and that members were entitled to decide, collectively, whether such a position was appropriate.

The petition states that LAZ’s strength lies in its reputation for impartial legal analysis and that the credibility of its interventions depends on strict adherence to professional neutrality. The petitioners stressed that the current climate demands extra caution, particularly as constitutional matters attract intense public attention and political dispute.

In response to the petition, documents seen indicate that the LAZ Honorary Secretary acknowledged receipt of the notice and confirmed that the matter would be tabled before the council in accordance with the association’s governing framework. The council is expected to determine whether the conditions set out under the Law Association of Zambia Act and the association’s constitution for convening an EGM have been met.

While the petition has not yet been fully debated by the LAZ membership, it has already triggered wider discussion within legal circles about the association’s role in moments of significant national policy change. Senior lawyers contacted separately said the petition reflected growing anxiety over how professional bodies articulate their positions during contentious political periods.

If the council determines that an EGM is warranted, the meeting would allow members to debate the concerns raised, adopt resolutions on the association’s conduct and clarify LAZ’s expected role in national discourse. If the council finds that conditions for an EGM have not been met, petitioners may still escalate the matter through additional procedures provided under association rules.

As debate around constitutional reform continues, the petition marks one of the most visible internal challenges to LAZ’s leadership in recent years and underscores the tensions that arise when professional bodies are drawn into national debates.