Judiciary must not be immune to criticism

On October 1st, 2021 Constitutional lawyer John Sangwa SC wrote an open letter to President Hakainde Hichilema in which he urged the Head of State to consider a transparent way of appointing the nation’s next Chief Justice and judges in general. In his letter to the President, State Counsel Sangwa pointed out the cons of the current system of appointing judges and the effects it has had on the Judiciary’s performance and public image. While many Zambians, including those that represent this newspaper agreed with State Counsel Sangwa that there is need for a more transparent process when making appointments at the Judiciary, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) disagreed. Normally, LAZ’s decision to oppose Mr Sangwa’s progressive ideas would…...