GOVERNMENT through the Justice ministry should tap into the expertise of non-State actors like law schools to assist in the alignment of laws with the Constitution, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda has said.
Source: Government urged to tap into law schools – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 21, 2017
BY STEPHEN CHADENGA
Mudenda said Parliament was pushing for the alignment of laws, but said that there was need to engage other stakeholders to speed up the process.
Following the promulgation of the new Constitution in 2013, government promised to align at least 300 laws by 2015, but to date not much has been achieved.
“We have encouraged the Justice ministry to approach law schools to assist in the alignment of laws,” he said at a Parliament of Zimbabwe stakeholders’ meeting in Gweru last week.
Mudenda gave the example, where he said Parliament invited the Law Society of Zimbabwe to do draft alignment of eight pieces of legislation, which he said were submitted to the ministry headed by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
There were currently three law schools at State universities in the country, namely Midlands State University, Great Zimbabwe University and the University of Zimbabwe.
Although government has at times pointed to limited capacity for delays in the alignment process, critics argue that lack of political will has resulted at the slow pace in the process.
Mudenda also urged members of the public to be pro-active at Bills public hearings, so that they could contribute to the crafting of laws.
“Citizens deserve good and qualitative laws and these can only be achieved if people contribute actively and involve themselves in the business of Parliament,” he said.
COMMENTS