LAZ WARNS FAKE LAWYERS
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has vowed to bring sanity in the profession, saying it will crack down on fake lawyers posing as ZIALE graduates.
LAZ has since cautioned quack lawyers against posing as advocates and appearing before court to represent clients, failure to which they will be prosecuted for impersonation.
The warning comes in the wake of the jailing of Felix Mujibelo to six months imprisonment by the Monze Magistrates Court for impersonating a qualified advocate by representing two suspected cattle rustlers
In a statement issued on Friday, LAZ president Lungisani Zulu noted that unscrupulous members of the public are masking themselves as advocates without being accredited as such.
“LAZ strongly condemns such acts
and is committed to safeguarding the public and the integrity of the Legal Profession,” Zulu said.
He urged members of the public to be wary of humbugs.
“We urge members of the public to exercise caution when seeking legal services,
including conveyancing, debt recovery, legal advisory and litigation services,” he said.
“Only registered Advocates, duly licensed by LAZ, are authorized to offer legal services and
represent clients in Court pursuant to Section 42 as read with 43 of the Legal Practitioners Act, CAP 30 of the Laws of Zambia, 1973. Engaging with unlicensed individuals puts the public at risk of serious legal consequences and undermines the Justice System.”
He said disguising oneself as an advocate is a crime and those found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.
“LAZ remains vigilant and will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute individuals who engage in the unlawful practice of law,” Zulu said.
“We encourage the public to report any suspected cases of legal impersonation to
complaintsrec@laz.org.zm and the relevant authorities as well as seek verification of
their lawyer’s credentials through the LAZ website or by contacting the LAZ
Secretariat.”
He added that LAZ is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in the legal profession by seeing to it that only those called to the bar, are entrusted with legal responsibilities.
Many Laws we have today are like fertiliser good enough even for weeds.Why are Lawyers not verified before commencing their defense duties on those occasions ?