This is a no-holds-barred commentary on public law in Zambia that considers good governance, politics and human rights. Evoking the spirit and style of eminent law writers such as Sir Blackstone and Lord Denning, the author presents a commentary on cardinal issues in public administration and law in a provocative yet informative way.

Commentary on Public Law in Zambia: Law, Politics and Governance covers a wide range of subjects from constitutionalism to human rights, democracy to good governance, executive authority to judicial independence, parliamentary practice and procedure to the office of the Public Protector, and more, in the course of its sixteen chapters.

Joseph Chirwa shows himself to be the future of legal scholarship and writing in Zambia, learning from the best Zambia has produced, among others Professor Muna Ndulo, Supreme Court Justice Mumba Malila, SC and retired Justice Patrick Matibini, SC.

The book deals with the following topics:

• constitutional theory and practice
• judicial independence
• parliamentary procedure and practice
• the Public Protector
• proceedings against the state
• the politics of state-owned enterprises
• the executive authority
• judicial review
• the electoral process
• institutions of good governance
• constitutional protection of human rights
• environmental law and policy
• contempt of court
• public interest litigation
• the tribunal system
• commissions

DEDICATION 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

FOREWORD 

PREFACE 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

TABLE OF CASES 

TABLE OF LEGISLATION 

CHAPTER 1: CONSTITUTIONAL THEORY AND PRACTICE 

1.1 Constitutionalism and supremacy of the Constitution 

1.2 Rule of law 

1.2.1 Government under law 

1.2.2 Equality before the law 

1.2.3 Discretion and the rule of law 

1.3 Separation of powers and checks and balances 

1.3.1 Separation of powers: reality or myth?

1.3.2 Of checks and balances 

1.4 Good governance and democracy 

CHAPTER 2: JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE 

2.1 Conceptualising judicial independence 

2.2 From whom should the judiciary be independent? 

2.3 Facets of judicial independence 

2.4 Accountability of the judiciary 

2.5 The Judicial Code of Conduct 

2.6 The judiciary and human rights

2.7 The judiciary and politics 

CHAPTER 3: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND PRACTICE 

3.1 National Assembly or Parliament? 

3.2 The Speakership 

3.2.1 Administrative functions 

3.2.2 Institutional functions 

3.3 Leader of Government Business 

3.4 Leader of the Opposition 

3.5 The Government Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip and Party Whips

3.6 Clerk of the National Assembly 

3.7 Committee system 

3.7.1 House-keeping committees 

3.7.2 General purpose committees 

3.7.3 Portfolio committees 

3.8 Powers and privileges  

3.8.1 Parliamentary immunity 

3.8.2 Parliamentary privilege 

3.8.3 Parliamentary power 

3.9 Controls on administrative actions 

3.10 The law-making process 

3.10.1 First reading 

3.10.2 Second reading 

3.10.3 Committee stage 

3.10.4 Report stage 

3.10.5 Third reading 

3.10.6 Presidential assent 

CHAPTER 4: THE PUBLIC PROTECTOR 

4.1 History  

4.2 Rationale 

4.3 Functions  

4.4 Remedies 

CHAPTER 5: PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE STATE 

5.1 Should proceedings be entered against the ‘state’ or the‘government’?  

5.2 Liability of the state in tort 

5.3 Liability of the state in contract 

5.4 Criminal liability against the state? 

5.5 Immunities of the state

CHAPTER 6: THE POLITICS OF STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES 

6.1 Legal basis for state-owned enterprises 

6.2 Rationale and objectives of public enterprises 

6.3 Types of public enterprises 

6.3.1 Departmental undertaking 

6.3.2 Joint stock company 

6.3.3 Public corporation 

6.3.4 Holding company 

6.4 Corporate governance 

6.4.1 Minister-in-Charge of Portfolio 

6.4.2 Industrial Development Corporation 

6.4.3 Board of Directors 

6.4.4 Executive management  

6.5 Accountability and control  

6.5.1 Parliamentary control 

6.5.2 Judicial control  

6.5.3 Ministerial control 

6.5.4 Control through audit 

6.5.5 Internal controls 

CHAPTER 7: THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY 

7.1 The foundation of the executive authority 

7.1.1 What is the executive? 

7.1.2 Authority

7.1.3 Power 

7.2 Theories of executive power

7.2.1 The residual power theory 

7.2.2 The inherent power theory 

7.2.3 The specific grant theory 

7.3 The Presidency  

7.4 The Vice-President 

7.5 The Cabinet 

7.5.1 Cabinet meetings 

7.5.2 Cabinet committees and their functions 

7.5.3 Principles of Cabinet  

7.6 Ministers 

7.7 Provincial Ministers  

7.8 The civil service 

7.8.1 Principles governing the civil service 

7.8.2 Code of Ethics  

7.9 Defence and security 

7.9.1 Defence force and functions 

7.9.2 National security services and functions 

7.10 Local government  

7.11 Regulatory agencies and advisory bodies 

CHAPTER 8: JUDICIAL REVIEW 

8.1 Nature 

8.2 Scope 

8.3 Public bodies for the purpose of judicial review 

8.4 Requirement of locus standi 

8.5 Grounds for judicial review 

8.5.1 Illegality  

8.5.2 Procedural impropriety 

8.5.3 Unreasonableness

8.5.4 Proportionality 

8.6 Legitimate expectation and the future of judicial review 

8.7 Remedies under judicial review 

8.7.1 Certiorari  

8.7.2 Prohibition 

8.7.3 Mandamus 

8.7.4 Declaration 

8.7.5 Injunction 

8.7.6 Damages 

CHAPTER 9: THE ELECTORAL PROCESS 

9.1 Elections and public participation 

9.1.1 Who is eligible to vote? 

9.2 Electoral institutions 

9.2.1 Electoral Commission of Zambia 

9.2.2 High Court and Constitutional Court 

9.2.3 Local Government Elections Tribunal 

9.2.4 Civil society organisations 

9.2.5 The international community 

9.2.6 The media 

9.3 Electoral systems 

9.3.1 Understanding the 50 percent plus 1 vote threshold 

9.3.2 First-past-the-post 

9.3.3 One-member constituency and ward 

9.4 Electoral offences, malpractice and tribalism 

9.4.1 Article 45 principles 

9.4.2 Section 3 principles 

9.4.3 Electoral offences and malpractices 

9.4.4 Is tribalism the new norm and future of Zambia’s electoral system and process? 

CHAPTER 10: INSTITUTIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE 

10.1 The free press 

10.2 Pressure groups 

10.3 Political parties  

10.4 Trade unions and the labour movement 

10.5 The church 

10.6 Traditional authorities  

10.6.2 Chiefs as councillors 

10.6.3 The House of Chiefs

10.7 Students and the intelligentsia 

CHAPTER 11: CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 

11.1 Conceptualisation of human rights 

11.1.1 Human rights are universal and inalienable 

11.1.2 Human rights are interdependent and indivisible 

11.1.3 Human rights are to be applied equally and without discrimination 

11.1.4 Human rights entail both rights and obligations 

11.1.5 Human rights are distinguishable from other rights 

11.2 Source of human rights  

11.2.1 Natural law theory 

11.2.2 Positivist theory 

11.2.3 Social contract theory  

11.3 The Zambian Bill of Rights 

11.3.1 What is the Bill of Rights? 

11.3.2 What are the advantages of having rights enshrined in the Constitution? 

11.3.3 Contents of the Bill of Rights  

11.4 National protection of human rights  

11.4.1 Courts of law 

11.4.2 Human Rights Commission 

11.4.3 Public Protector 

11.4.4 Police Public Complaints Commission 

11.5 International protection of human rights 

11.5.1 The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 

11.5.2 United Nations Commission on Human Rights 

CHAPTER 12: ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY 

12.1 Conceptualisation of environmental law 

12.2 Scope of environmental law and policy 

12.3 Values, principles and environmental law 

12.4 The administrative machinery of environmental law and policy

12.4.1 The Ministry responsible for Lands, Environment and Natural Resources 

12.4.2 The Zambia Environmental Management Agency 

12.4.3 Local authorities 

12.4.4 Courts of law 

12.4.5 Other departments and agencies 

CHAPTER 13: CONTEMPT OF COURT

13.1 When is one in contempt of court? 

13.1.1 Purposes and rationale for contempt laws 

13.1.2 Are courts immune to criticism? 

13.2 Civil or criminal contempt? 

13.3 Facets of contempt 

13.3.1 Contempt in the face of the court 

13.3.2 Publications interfering with the due course of justice

13.3.3 Acts which interfere with the course of justice 

13.4 Procedure and practice 

13.5 Jurisdiction and powers of the courts  

CHAPTER 14: PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION 

14.1 Origins of public interest litigation 

14.2 Subject matter of public interest litigation  

14.2.1 What is public interest?  

14.2.2 What is public interest law? 

14.2.3 What is public interest litigation? 

14.3 Judicial activism  

14.4 Social action litigation and social justice 

CHAPTER 15: THE TRIBUNAL SYSTEM 

15.1 The concept and idea  

15.2 The case for tribunals  

15.3 Examples of tribunals  

15.4 The new norm? 

CHAPTER 16: COMMISSIONS 

16.1 Commissions under the Service Commissions Act 

16.1.1 Rationale 

16.1.2 Principles governing commissions 

16.1.3 Financial independence 

16.1.4 General powers of commissions 

16.1.5 List of commissions

16.2 Commissions under the Inquiries Act