JERE WELCOMES ENVIRONMENT COURT BUT FLAGS TRIBUNAL SYNC
JERE WELCOMES ENVIRONMENT COURT BUT FLAGS TRIBUNAL SYNC
Renowned lawyer and former Presidential Press Aide Dickson Jere has welcomed the planned establishment of a Lands and Environment Court at the High Court.
He explained that the new Division is expected to be a specialised one to handle matters of land and environment.
Jere observed that this is a welcome move, especially since land issues have clogged the court system and take long to dispose of.
He noted that matters of land must be resolved expeditiously.
Jere advanced that he hopes the proposed Court will be synchronised with the already existing Lands Tribunal, whose jurisdiction was recently enhanced.
He said that the Lands Tribunal was initially envisioned as the “fast track” Court on land matters, but its efficiency is equally worrisome.
“This has been compounded by the fact that the members are part-time and do not sit everyday and everywhere in the country,” he said.
Jere affirmed that his point about land disputes in Zambia has been twofold.
He emphasised that, firstly, he believes the disputes are usually administrative and caused by a lack of proper administrative processes at different levels
“The local authorities are major contributors, as Councillors see land as a commodity for sale for their political survival,” he said.
Jere further noted that the 2016 Constitutional Amendment introduced a Lands Commission, but successive governments have not operationalised it.
He emphasised that most issues ending in court could be resolved administratively, and that reforms are needed, including engagement with chiefs on traditional land.