via ‘Align laws to new Constitution’ – DailyNews Live 17 June 2015
HARARE – A leading rights group has demanded that the Attorney General (AG)’s office publicly provide a timetable for realigning hundreds of pieces of legislation with the new Zimbabwe Constitution.
At least 400 Acts of Parliament are yet to be aligned to the new charter two years after it was adopted in May 2013.
Irene Petras, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) executive director, said Prince Machaya’s office should provide provisional deadlines to prove sincerity in executing the harmonisation process.
“The AG’s office must publicly provide a time-bound schedule of its alignment priorities and progress, which can be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure compliance and speed up the realignment process,” Petras told a parliament portfolio committee on Justice this Monday.
Machaya took over from Johannes Tomana, who is now the Prosecutor General.
The Justice ministry has said a funding shortfall was hampering the synchronisation of the laws.
Petras said the financial needs of the Justice ministry and other relevant departments should be prioritised by the national budget to facilitate constitutionalism in Zimbabwe.
“Further capacitating may be required for the AG’s office, particularly the drafting department,” she said.
“Measures should be taken to address gaps and weaknesses in a manner which will also monitor and ensure timely progress where additional resources including training, human and or financial, have been provided.”
The AG is, amongst other things, the principal legal advisor to government while the NPA, under the supervision of the PG, institutes and undertakes criminal prosecutions and any other ancillary functions.
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