THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) council has backed down after an intense challenge from members to repeal the provisions that ban them from issuing media statements, especially on serious national matters.
During an emergency LAZ meeting on Monday evening, it was agreed that provisions of Rules 17 (5) and (60) of the Legal Practitioners Practice Rules of 2002 which prohibited practitioners from issuing media statements should be repealed.
The provisions do not allow practitioners to issue media statements to discuss legal subjects without prior authority of the LAZ council.
LAZ president James Banda could not be reached for comment last night as he was reportedly in a LAZ council meeting.
The lawyers have also called for unity and consistency in the law fraternity and when issuing any media statements to avoid misleading the nation, especially on contentious issues that need professional interpretation.
“The LAZ council will have to constitute a committee soon that will look into the matter of repealing this provision to acceptable standards and will definitely be adhered to by practitioners,” the lawyers, who refused to be identified, said.
The lawyers met at the Ridgeway Southern Sun Hotel and debated at length a number of contentious issues.
They challenged the LAZ council on the need for them to have a right to express their opinion in the media even without express clearance.
The provisions of Rules 17 (5) and (60) of the Legal Practitioners Practice Rules of 2002 prohibit practitioners from issuing media statements or appearing on radio and television to discuss legal subjects without prior authority of the council.
According to sources, the lawyers also adopted the calls for judicial reforms which should not be targeted at individuals but should be generalised if they were to achieve the intended goals in the nation.
The lawyers were prompted to call for an emergency meeting with their association’s council following recent threats by LAZ president, Mr Banda that they risked having their licences revoked if they continued to issue statements without permission from the council.
LAZ had also banned them from issuing any statements on the suspension of the three judges and setting up of a tribunal without permission from the association’s council.
They emphasised that banning them from issuing any statements hinged on their Constitutional rights of expression on national issues.
The LAZ president recently said in an internal circular addressed to all legal practitioners that lawyers should stop expressing their opinion publicly without the permission of the LAZ Council.
Mr Banda also urged all members to immediately refrain from issuing statements to the media on any legal subject, including the recent event concerning the suspension of the three judges and the subsequent setting up of a tribunal to investigate their alleged misconduct.
[Times of Zambia]
Why do most pictures of leaders look they are sickly, is it the cameras?
Lol lol lol DJ Chris Dee uli lishilu!
Its the cameras and non professionals taking pictures. This guy looks much much much better in real life than picture depicts him
Maybe he is. We dont know!
Blame your marijuana eyes
People are sick, body and soul, that is why
@ 1 and 2, post your pictures so we can ascertain wether the pic in question is that of a sick person. other than that, know that we are all decomposing immediately we were pronounced born. the effects of mother earth slowly but surely eat each and everyone of us and by the time you realize this, you will be bedridden.
The lawyers created their own “contempt of association” lol. They have now woken up to realise that free speech on national issues is crucial to democracy. Political parties also have their own version of “contempt of party” where individual members can not express their opinions on national matters publicly, especially those that disagree with the official position of the party. Expressing a diverse opinion does not mean being disloyal. Diversity of opinion is vital in the search for knowledge and the truth. Let us value it
so now the lawyers are tired of following their own laws. so in short they are equally saying Laz must not continue to exist and each lawyer must fend for themselves. its like children rising up against the father who is strict that 18hr bonse ni pa bond or else kulala mu mufolo
Zero Option, decipher what I wrote above then ask again
That provision has always been there but LAZ never applied it; Then come this misguided so called LAZ President James Banda who wanted to follow Musa Mwenye in lobbying for a government appointment. Anyway, it is gratifying that even Musa Mwanya did not succeed in killing the democratic spirit of LAZ and Zambia in general. By the way, why don’t lawyers discipline this dictator James Banda before he conjures up other tricks to protect his bosses, he is obviously compromised no doubt.
It is very disappointing that LAZ Council can have an emergency meeting just to discuss issue to do with issuing press statement instead of calling for an emergency meeting to discuss the failure rate at Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE). Please LAZ help the Zambian people from Mr. Musonda, Mr. Patel, Mr. Chimika, Mr. Ndovu SC to mention but a few. These Lecturers they are either malicious or the don’t know to teach and must go and His Excellency Mr. M. C. Sata has allowed this to continue up to now instead constituting a tribunal to probe the failure rate at ZIALE. Please Mr. President help us. As you talk about reforms in the judiciary you are not talking about the reforms at ZIALE reforms must start from ZIALE then the judiciary.
May be James Banda is not competent enough to be LAZ president. How does he compare to past presidents, like George Kunda?
James Banda was at the Bob Marley concert look at his eyes DEC were are u
yayayaayya..wina akugwa cino chaka..!
this chap is compromised.judge and this ka james are buddies,thats why he is trying to protect the homo mmembe
Countrymen, permission to speak? Is this LAZ Act in line with the Constitution on freedom of expression?
@#8 BMG, How does the President or LAZ help you pass ZIALE exams.
Students at ZIALE do not fail at all but they are just failed. Can u imagine where u write the exams and you are just told to say you have passed or failed without been shown how you failed. You have to understand that these Students at ZIALE are all graduates taught by more qualified lecturers at the Universities such as people Masters and PHDs and these qualified lecturers certified the students who have gone to ZIALE to be qualified to go in their field of law and yet the Lecturers at ZIALE have the same qualifications like the students they are teaching except that these lecturers have experience in practice and at the same time are also competitors with the students they teaching. Furthermore, these lecturers are same who teach, set the exams, mark, determine who to pass and to fail.
just shut up chimbwi.if u failed to go thro at ziale it means u re dull.i passed my bar exams kolwe iwe
That Bob marley memorial Had smoke every where and about Balani.