LAZ cracks deepen

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 10:32:13 +0000

MORE Cracks have emerged in the Law Association of Zambia following a Town Hall Meeting called by the Linda Kasonde executive which some lawyers challenged as being illegal.

Sources disclosed to the Daily Nation yesterday that members walked out of the town hall meeting after Ms Kasonde suggested that those opposed to holding the meeting could leave if they so wished.

Critics argued that there was no provisions for a “town hall” meeting in the LAZ Constitution.  They wanted the meeting formalised to take definitive binding reslolutions.

According to inside sources, it was observed that the Association executive was determined to proceed with their motion and would not entertain opposing views from members nor allow members to express their own opinions especially if against that of the day’s agenda.

“It was most unfortunate for the LAZ president wants to insinuate that anybody who expressed opposing thoughts from her idea was an enemy of the Association,” they said.

LAZ invited members for a town hall meeting to discuss the Bill to be tabled before Parliament over the creation of another legal body which topic had recently created divisions in the Association.

But some lawyers proposed the said meeting suggesting that since the quorum was already formed, they could transform it into an extraordinary general meeting to make resolutions.

Several lawyers said asking members to leave because they raised concern on a genuine subject was disrespectful not only to the members, but to the profession as that was against the very basics for which the legal fraternity stood for, which was to protect and promote the rule of law and human rights.

“So we are not allowed to express our opinion if it is against Ms Kasonde and her executive, apparently she has taken the Association as a personal-to-holder movement.

“And yet all we did was request for legal backing from the Legal Practitioners’ Act of the so called Town Hall meeting which was held at the cost of the Association,” they charged.

And lawyers Kelvin Bwalya, Temmere Chabu, Kondwani Musukwa and Robson Malipenga petitioned the conveners of last Friday’s meeting, demanding that the Association instead transforms the said meeting into an extraordinary general meeting, as the members who had gathered had formed a quorum as provided for under their rules.

But that the motion was met with a rude suggestion that those opposed to the town hall meeting could leave.

The four lawyers challenged the Council’s decision to join the Post Newspapers in Liquidation case before the High Court in a manner said to disregard the judiciary. In a signed petition for a Notice of Motion for extra ordinary general Meeting, they said the LAZ was falling prey to its own criticism when it condemned members of the public on subjects it was now promoting.

“The Council has failed to discharge its mandate to advance the law in that the council has decided to join the High Court of Zambia case involving the liquidation of the Post Newspaper Newspapers Limited as amicus curiae and has proceeded to question the integrity of the  court without due regard to procedure,”they submitted.

They charged that the acts have been detrimental to LAZ and its standing in society, hence their proposed extra ordinary meeting preceding the LAZ AGM scheduled for May 6, 2017, that “pursuant to section 8(16) of the LAZ (general rules) 1996, the motion be voted upon by way of poll”.