HH challenges lawyers

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has challenged lawyers in the country not to facilitate corruption by failing to advise their clients correctly.

Mr Hichilema says that lawyers as partners in governance must instead work together and support the government in promoting human rights and protecting citizens.

He said that his Government will not compromise with its fight against corruption adding that it was against that background that Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) must support his administration.

Mr Hichilema said that the legal profession is a noble calling and therefore must not detach itself from Society.

Speaking when he graced the 10th Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) Annual General Conference dubbed ‘LAZ at 50 celebrating our past with a vision for our future’ in Livingstone yesterday, President Hichilema called for stronger partnership between Government and LAZ.

He said that the legal profession and other professions must plays their roles in helping and supporting government adding that in today’ society, there were a number of challenges that citizens are facing which requires lawyers’ support.

“Circumstances and environment affects what lawyers do. In today’s world, there are many challenges that LAZ face; such as climate change, good governance and inequality…the questions is how do lawyer operate in such an environment,” President Hakainde Hichilema.

“The challenges are real and affects the young lawyers. As an association, we must partner with government and work together. Law Association of Zambia is not immune to these challenges and we must keep our eyes and minds on human rights,” Mr Hichilema said.

“The question is what we are doing as LAZ to contribute to the global order in protecting citizens. The country lost a citizen in a front war zone in one country in will not mention and it was difficult for the nation to get the body because of the challenges of the law.

This is where LAZ need to partner with government and the judiciary on legal reforms,” he said.

On institutional reforms, the President said that that can only happen when there is good leadership and that it requires political will.

Mr Hichilema further congratulated LAZ for attaining 50 years of existence and it does not need a reminder for citizens to know that lawyers play a critical role in society.

And Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe has assured the Association that government through his ministry was taking steps to employ and deploy more lawyers as seen from the recent employment of provincial lawyers in all the provincial centres.

Mr Haimbe said that it was therefore important for the LAZ to remodernize its legal framework to suit the environment.

The minister further informed the delegates that the Public Order Act and the Access to Information Bill have reached an advanced stage and would soon be tabled before Parliament.

Earlier, LAZ president Lungisani Banda made a call on President Hakainde Hichilema to strengthen capacities of institutions of governance such as the judiciary.

Mr Zulu said that there is need for the government to allocate sufficient resources to the judiciary in order to deliver justice which will ultimately benefit citizens.

He further said that the number of junior lawyers who are not employed in the country has increased and therefore government must create more jobs for them.