Constitutional Court of Zambia - 2026

10 judgments
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10 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
April 2026
Respondent’s failure to enact Article 60(4) political-party legislation is unconstitutional; Respondent ordered to legislate within 12 months.
Constitutional duty to legislate – Article 60(4) – political parties regulation – justiciability of omissions – Societies Act read-in conformity with Constitution – enforceability of Articles 45 and 60(2) – separation of powers and remedies
2 April 2026
March 2026
Challenge to sequencing of delimitation and voter registration dismissed; delimitation disputes governed by Article 58(7) and no required sequence exists.
Constitutional law — delimitation of constituencies — Article 58(7) special review mechanism; delimitation need not precede voter registration; Act No.13/2025 increases constituencies; ripeness/prematurity of constitutional challenges; independence of Electoral Management Body
30 March 2026
Whether non‑implementation of statutory climate mechanisms constitutes a justiciable constitutional violation.
Constitutional law — Article 257(g) duty to address climate change — Green Economy and Climate Change Act (GECCA) — IMRV System, Climate Change Fund, Climate Change Register — statutory compliance vs. constitutional question — jurisdiction and justiciability — referral under Article 128(2).
25 March 2026
An MP’s imprisonment automatically vacates the seat; an appeal does not suspend the vacancy or by-election timeline.
Constitutional law — Parliamentary privilege limited to proceedings; Imprisonment disqualifies MP under Art 70(2)(f) and vacates seat under Art 72(2)(b); pending appeal does not suspend vacancy or by-election timelines; Article 128 references decided on the referring court’s record; Chilangwa affirmed.
25 March 2026
Whether Article 76 parliamentary privilege protects media statements made within National Assembly precincts.
Constitutional jurisdiction – Article 128(2) referral obligation; Parliamentary privilege – Article 76 freedom of speech limited to formal proceedings; Press briefings and media statements within precincts not protected; Justiciability of internal parliamentary matters.
19 March 2026
February 2026
Constitutional Court lacks jurisdiction to review High Court interlocutory orders affecting the Bill of Rights; applicants should appeal.
Constitutional jurisdiction — Article 128(1) limited by Article 28 — Bill of Rights matters (Articles 11–26) to be determined by High Court and Supreme Court — High Court interlocutory/procedural orders — limits on use of Constitutional Court originating summons for abstract interpretation — abuse of process — remedy by appeal.
24 February 2026
Discontinuance of constitutional petitions must follow Order X rule 3; consent summons under Practice Direction 11 is impermissible.
Constitutional Court practice — discontinuance/withdrawal — Order X rule 3 mandatory — consent summons/Practice Direction No.11 inapplicable — notice and service — full Court where cause-listed — costs and public interest.
11 February 2026
Petitioners permitted to discontinue under Order X Rule 3; court declined respondent's request for costs, ordering each party to bear own costs.
Constitutional procedure – Discontinuance under Order X Rule 3 – Court’s discretionary power to allow withdrawal before judgment; Costs – section 30 CCA – discretion to award costs where litigation is frivolous or vexatious; Prima facie finding – relevance to denying costs.
10 February 2026
January 2026
Whether a parliamentary seat is vacant immediately on party expulsion or only after court confirmation or lapse of challenge period.
Constitutional law – Article 72(2)(e) expulsion – Vacancy of parliamentary seat – Judicial review under Article 72(5)-(7) – Role of High Court (s.96 Electoral Process Act) – Speaker's mechanical duty to inform ECZ once vacancy arises.
28 January 2026
A challenge to the JCC's report and removals must proceed by judicial review in the High Court, not by original petition here.
Constitutional jurisdiction — Judicial Complaints Commission as inferior administrative body — proper remedy is judicial review in High Court — Article 128(2) referral of constitutional questions — limits of Constitutional Court's original jurisdiction.
20 January 2026