Chikopa’s appointment offers Zambia hope for better judiciary
A Zambian top-notch lawyer says he hopes Zambian judiciary will be richer after Malawian High Court Judge and Commercial court chief adjudicator Lovemore Chikopa and his team concludes his work saying Justice Chikopa’s philosophy of law will assist Zambia in trying to find lasting solutions to the work of judges in the country the Judiciary system.
Dr. Roger Chongwe, one of Zambia’s prominent lawyers told The Post of Zambia : “Justice Chikopa is a brilliant lawyer and an astute judicial officer. He is fair, he is impartial and we hope this country, particularly the Judiciary, will be richer after he and his colleagues have done their works.”
Chongwe said the tribunal which is being headed by Chikopa is but a learning curve and enrichment of getting a close pollination of the two systems of law.
“There is no doubt in future, Zambia may also find itself helping our brothers and sisters in Malawi. Justice Chikopa is very welcome to Zambia to help us in matters of law, he is a fountain of legal knowledge, a very good lawyer and a very competent judge,” said Chongwe.
He explained that Chikopa’s appointment to head a Zambian tribunal by President Michael Sata is a step forward in cementing a solid relationship between Malawi and Zambia and that it will be beneficial to both countries.
“Investigations that we are going to have in Zambia has a beneficial effect in that the end result will be a demonstration of perhaps how best our institutions here have stood the test of time or that we have been wanting in some ways and that in fact not all hope should be lost because there is room for improvement in our judicial system.”
“Either way, it will be a learning curvature and fortification of getting a close pollination of the two systems of law and learning how good the judges in Malawi are; how they execute their duties and what the Malawian judge will find, together with Zambian his colleagues. It’s a two-way traffic,” he said.
Chongwe urged Zambians not to fear but instead try by all means to give the Malawian judge and his tribunal the evidence that they might need so that they come to a decision that would benefit the judiciary in both Malawi and Zambia.
Justice Chikopa, together with two other Zambian judges, Thomas Ndhlovu and Naboth Mwanza were sworn in and was expected to start sitting last week but justices Kajimanga and Mutuna have since obtained a stay from the courts.
President Sata recently suspended three judges – Nigel Mutuna, Phillip Musonda and Charles Kajimanga .
Zambian High Court judge, Flugence Chisanga signed an application last Wednesday in Lusaka for the accused judges to seek judicial review in the matter on grounds that the tribunal was against the law and premature.
But the Zambian Ministry of Justice has since ordered the Solicitor General to immediately have that stay revoked.
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