CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS JUDICIARY READY TO HANDLE ELECTORAL DISPUTES AS ZAMBIA HEADS TO POLLS

CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS JUDICIARY READY TO HANDLE ELECTORAL DISPUTES AS ZAMBIA HEADS TO POLLS

By Patricia Mbewe

Chief Justice Mumba Malila says the judiciary is fully prepared to administer justice without delay as Zambians prepare to exercise their democratic rights in this year’s general election.

Speaking at the official opening of the Electoral District Resolution training in Lusaka this morning, Dr. Malila said the training marks the culmination of a three-year journey by the judiciary to strengthen its capacity to discharge one of its most significant constitutional responsibilities, the fair, impartial and timely determination of electoral disputes.

He said the establishment of the advisory committee on election management in 2023 was aimed at ensuring the judiciary approaches electoral dispute resolution not as a periodic event, but as a permanent institutional responsibility requiring continuous planning and capacity building.

Dr. Malila noted that over the last two election cycles, the judiciary has maintained a record of diligence and timely adjudication without systemic delays but cautioned against complacency, saying past success should not be an excuse for present complacency.

He added that the demands on the institution have increased following the recent delimitation exercise which saw constituencies increase by 70, and the introduction of mixed member proportional representation and other constitutional amendments which may increase the volume and complexity of electoral litigation.

And Chairperson of the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee on Election Management, Justice Maria Kawimbe, said the judiciary has undertaken a comprehensive three-year program to strengthen Zambia’s electoral justice resolution mechanism ahead of the general election.

Justice Kawimbe said the training is the final in a series of capacity-building efforts that the advisory committee has undertaken since June 2026, designed to ensure that every adjudicator, tribunal member, and court staff involved in the electoral justice resolution process is adequately prepared.

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