Constitutional Court of Zambia - 2021

24 judgments
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Results. 24 judgments found.

24 judgments
November 2021
A contractual dispute alleging abuse by a lender was dismissed for want of constitutional jurisdiction; national values are not independently justiciable.
  • Constitutional jurisdiction — national values and principles (Articles 8 & 9) guide interpretation but are not independently justiciable — Constitutional Court limited to matters of constitutional interpretation or alleged contraventions (Article 128) — contractual/statutory disputes fall outside Constitutional Court’s original jurisdiction.
29 November 2021
Constitutional Court upheld enforcement of Supreme Court time limits, holding procedural rules cannot be bypassed as mere technicalities.
  • Constitutional jurisdiction — Article 118(1) and 118(2)(e) — procedural technicalities — enforcement of court rules — Rule 48(5) time limits — discretionary dismissal by Supreme Court — limits on Constitutional Court review.
24 November 2021
Petitioner failed to prove misconduct by the candidate or his election agent that could void the election under section 97(2)(a) EPA.
  • Electoral law — Election petitions — Section 97(2)(a) EPA — Standard of proof (fairly high degree of convincing clarity) — Liability limited to acts of candidate or duly appointed election/polling agents — Need for corroboration of partisan evidence — Absence from totaling centre not fatal (s36).
22 November 2021
October 2021
Retention on payroll under Article 189 applies only where the terminal payment qualifies as a pension benefit under relevant law.
  • Constitutional law — Article 189(1)&(2): pension benefits and retention on payroll; SI No. 48/2020 (Employment Code exemptions) does not displace Article 189; statutory definition of gratuity under Employment Code Act — long‑term contracts; distinction between Article 67 abstract review and concrete enforcement under Article 128/189.
27 October 2021
September 2021
Whether contractual gratuity from a fixed-term employment is a constitutionally protected pension benefit entitling payroll retention.
  • Constitutional law — Articles 187, 189, 266 — definition of "pension benefit" includes gratuity but must be read with applicable pension statutes — fixed-term contract gratuity — retention on payroll — interaction between constitutional protection and statutory pension/occupational laws — burden of proof on claimant.
20 September 2021
17 September 2021
August 2021
Whether the President complied with constitutional gender parity and representation requirements in nominations and ministerial appointments.
  • Constitutional law — Article 259(1) — mandatory gender parity and representation requirements with provisos for "impracticability" and qualification; Article 173 public service values not applicable to parliamentary nominations or ministerial appointments; presidential discretion constrained by constitutional requirements; evidentiary burden and role of political parties in realizing gender parity.
18 August 2021
July 2021
Whether a payroll-retention claim pending severance is a constitutional matter or an Industrial Relations Division dispute.
  • Constitutional jurisdiction — Article 128 — referral under Article 128(2) — limits on appeals against refusal to refer; Industrial Relations Division — exclusive jurisdiction under s.85 and s.85A — employer–employee disputes; Article 189 — payroll retention pending severance; procedural commencement (originating summons vs petition).
20 July 2021
13 July 2021
June 2021
Whether Article 63(2)(d) requires the National Assembly’s prior approval of all public borrowing or only of categories prescribed by Parliament.
  • Constitutional law — public borrowing — scope of Article 63(2)(d) — whether all public debt requires prior National Assembly approval — relationship with Article 207(1)–(2) — transitional operation of Loans and Guarantees (Authorisation) Act (Cap. 366) — requirement for Parliament to enact or amend legislation to specify loans requiring approval.
30 June 2021
13 June 2021
11 June 2021
11 June 2021
4 June 2021
May 2021
Application seeking re-interpretation of Article 106 was dismissed as abuse of process; only Article 70(2)(f) question remains.
  • Constitutional interpretation — Article 106 (presidential term limits) — finality of constitutional adjudication — res judicata/abuse of process — functus officio — Article 70(2)(f) (suspended sentence and parliamentary eligibility) — procedural dismissal.
18 May 2021
Application to reinterpret minimum academic qualification requirement dismissed as res judicata in light of prior Constitutional Court decision.
  • Constitutional interpretation — Article 70(1)(d) — Minimum academic qualification (Grade 12 certificate or equivalent) — Res judicata — Functus officio — Electoral qualification — Interpretation previously settled by Constitutional Court (Bizwayo Newton Nkunika).
14 May 2021
March 2021
The respondent's application to correct an alleged accidental omission was dismissed for failure to show a prima facie slip; procedural irregularity deemed curable.
  • Constitutional law — correction of judgments — Order XV rule 3 CCR — accidental omissions and clerical errors — prima facie showing required — finality of judgments; procedural compliance — Order IX rule 20(2) — summons grounds — curable irregularity; interpretation — 'chiefdom' and scope of judgment on recognition of chiefs under Article 165.
30 March 2021
Single judge refused stay of criminal proceedings as interlocutory relief was premature and merits require full-Court determination.
  • Constitutional law — stay of criminal proceedings — private prosecution — Article 180(8) DPP consent — interlocutory relief — jurisdiction of single judge — three‑pronged test (serious question, irreparable harm, balance of convenience).
25 March 2021
10 March 2021
February 2021
Constitutional Court lacks jurisdiction over chieftaincy succession and criminal inquiries; amended petition dismissed with each party bearing costs.
  • Constitutional Court jurisdiction — Article 128 and Article 28 — chieftaincy succession not a constitutional question — criminal matters and restitution of evidence outside Constitutional Court jurisdiction — res judicata and finality of litigation.
12 February 2021
Delay in transmission of a referral does not justify a duplicative constitutional petition; dismissal for abuse of court process.
  • Constitutional procedure — abuse of court process and duplicity of actions — filing a petition while a substantially identical High Court referral is pending — locus standi and statutory requirement for consent/leave under Corporate Insolvency Act considered but not decided.
10 February 2021
10 February 2021
A councilor cannot rescind a resignation during the 30-day notice period; vacancy occurs when that period lapses.
  • Constitutional law — Resignation of elected local officials — Article 157(2)(b) — No provision for rescission during the 30-day notice period — Vacancy occurs at end of notice period — By-election timeframe (Article 57) runs from vacancy.
4 February 2021
January 2021
The Constitutional Court lacks jurisdiction to hear appeals against a presiding court’s refusal to refer constitutional questions, except election appeals.
  • Constitutional Court — Jurisdiction — Article 128(1)(d) limits appeals to parliamentary and local government election petitions — Referral of constitutional questions under Article 128(2) — No appellate route to Constitutional Court for refusals to refer — Proper procedure: stay proceedings and commence original action in Constitutional Court.
29 January 2021