Govt should intervene in LAZ saga

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 14:31:36 +0000

By NATION REPORTER

GOVERNMENT has been asked to intervene in the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) crisis to forestall its break up due to competing professional and political tensions that have arisen.

The summoning of three prominent lawyers who have been critical of LAZ position has been described as the last straw which may see the crumbling of the organization.

A senior lawyer said the overbearing influence of external interests had pushed the association to unprecedented levels of disrepute and internal antagonism to the extent of negating the vital role of the core functions.

Speaking in confidence to the Daily Nation the lawyer said that the association as a creature of statute had a very clear role to serve in preserving the rule of law.

“But of late the Association has become embroiled in partisan politics by association and sadly through definitive actions that leave little room for any doubt about the organization’s impartiality, “he said.

The problem, he said, was that those making decisions in the organization were themselves personally involved in their social and professional relationships.

It has thus become difficult to distinguish the roles hence the need for the appropriate authorities to intervene and being sanity to prevail. “He said.

The Association has come under intense criticism for appointing counsel to represent Nchima Nchito who is representing Fred M’membe of the Post Newspaper and for taking a position apparently to oppose the 2021 President bid by President Edgar Lungu. Other lawyers have called the association a family law practice due to undue influence supposedly exerted by external sources.

The fear is that the cartel has entrenched itself through some members of the executive who are doing to its bidding instead of representing the interest of all the members in their political diversity.”