In order for the rule of law to take root, Zambia needs to put in place adequate adequate court infrastructure not only in major town and cities, but across all the ten provinces and their respective districts. But the legal system in Zambia is still limited in its capability to address the needs of a Just and fair society’s due to the inadequate leves of essential judicial infrastructure and resource limitations.
The Judiciary has admitted that there has not been adequate Court infrastructure in all provinces and Districts across the country. Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila notes that the Judiciary faces serious infrastructure deficit country wide.
Responding to a Zambian Business Times – ZBT – enquiry, Dr. Malila explained that the problem runs through the whole hierarchy of the courts starting from those at the apex, i.e. the Supreme Court and constitutional court, down to the local courts.
He told the Zambian Business Times that, “indeed with our emphasis on access to justice, there is need to have court infrastructure all over the country to enable litigant’s access court services easily.”
The Chief Justice mentioned that the central Government is aware of the Judiciary’s infrastructure needs and has been releasing resources towards rehabilitation of dilapidated courtroom infrastructure especially at local court and Subordinate court levels.
He added that there is however much more that requires to be done for the superior courts in all provinces and districts country wide.
One critical role of courts in the society is ensuring justice is served in a fair manner as judges guided by the constitution will listen to arguments from both sides when coming up with their final judgment when compared to customary laws used in some major parts of the country.
