LAZ gets marching orders over failure to discuss own Bill 7 content submission

LAZ gets marching orders over failure to discuss own Bill 7 content submission

THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has politely been excused from the Parliamentary Select Committee sitting after insisting on discussing the constitutionality of Bill 7 rather than addressing the contents of its own written submission.

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The association appeared before the committee this morning to present its memorandum in the Constitution Amendment of Bill 7 of 2025.

But despite being guided several times, LAZ declined to read or speak to the specific clauses and implications of the Bill, prompting the committee to terminate the session.

LAZ president Lungisani Zulu opened with a strong rebuke of the entire Bill 7 process, arguing that Parliament was proceeding in breach of the constitution.

Zulu said the current process poses a serious threat to the national values and principles in Article 8, adding that democracy and constitutionalism were core pillars that should never be undermined.

He noted that the Constitutional Court, in the Munir Zulu and Celestine Mukandila case, found that the initiation of Bill 7 violated several constitutional provisions, including Articles 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 61, 90, 91 and 92.

“Any act or omission contrary to the Constitution is illegal, we could not ignore the court’s findings. The court’s ruling rendered the entire process invalid so it is prudent that both the Executive and Parliament fully comply with the judgment,” he said.

“The Bill has been initiated in breach of the Constitution. We cannot contribute to ignoring express pronouncements of the Constitutional Court.”

He further referenced a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly dated December 3, 2025, saying LAZ was instructed to outline the ramifications of the Bill and those ramifications included the alleged constitutional violations.

But the select committee insisted that LAZ was straying outside the mandate of the meeting.

“LAZ has made a submission which it does not wish to read or speak to. You have only addressed your introduction and preamble, which we allowed for the record. We now require you to speak to the key issues relating to the objects of the Bill,” said Imanga Wamunyima, Parliamentary Select Committee Chairperson.

Wamunyima emphasised that the procedural concerns raised by LAZ were already matters before the courts and therefore sub judice, placing them outside the committee’s scope.

“There has been no judgment declaring Bill 7 unconstitutional. It is a proposed law. The Constitutional Court has not interpreted it,” he added.

The chairperson further stated that the meeting could only proceed if LAZ was prepared to present the substantive issues contained in its written submission.

When LAZ maintained its position, the committee closed the session with immediate effect.

By Sharon Zulu

Kalemba December 11, 2025