The indepedence of the judiciary and the challenge of political interference:a Zambian perspective

Abstract

In the years after Independence the Republic of Zambia was vibrant with politicians that had successfully liberated the nation of foreign domination. The Overzealous spirit inherent in the politicians has up to today resulted in them attempting to undermine the independence of the Judiciary. This very cardinal feature of the Rule of Law has in certain instances been sidelined in preference to political beliefs and party ideologies since independence.The undermining of the concept of independence of the Judiciary is the focal point of this essay and it shall trace it from independence through to the era of the New Deal Administration. It is however pointed out that the type of infringement on the concept of independence of the judiciary with respect to this paper shall be biased towards political interference or that influence that is not backed by law but traces its origins from the political arena. If left unchecked, political interference in the operations of the judiciary may result in anarchy being entrenched as the dominant order of life in Zambia and the legitimacy the public have in the judiciary shall be diminished to worrying levels posing a threat to the peace that has characterized the Country since independence.