WE’VE EVIDENCE ON JUSTICE FOR SALE - LAWYERS

Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala at the official opening of the High Court. (R) President of the Law Society of Swaziland Mandla Mkhwanazi making his remarks during the official opening of the High Court. (File Pic)

MBABANE – “There is plenty of evidence that justice is now for sale.” This was the Law Society of Swaziland’s (LSS) response yesterday when asked if there was any evidence to the effect that justice in the country is now for sale.

The President of the LSS, Mandla Mkhwanazi, in an interview, simply said ‘yincumbi (there is plenty of it)’ when the question was put to him regarding the alleged sale of justice.

In his speech on Monday during the official opening of the High Court of Eswatini 2019 Legal Year, Mkhwanazi said there was a growing concern among attorneys which had filtered to litigants, ‘rightly or wrongly, that our justice is now for sale’.

Dignity

Mkhwanazi stated that this perception, which was shared by members of the public, reduced the dignity of the courts and judicial system in general. He mentioned that this created the impression that justice was then perceived to be only accessible to the rich and influential members of the society.
The president said when he delivered his speech on Monday, he was not making things up when he said justice was for sale in the country.

He stated that there were many complaints from attorneys who alleged that they had witnessed the exchange of monies for judgments in favour of those who paid the money.

Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala’s response on Monday on the allegation of justice being for sale, was that he was not aware of such and challenged the president to bring forth evidence to that effect.  “I will be expecting you Mr Mkhwanazi to give me evidence of justice being for sale. I am not aware of it,” said the chief justice.

On the question of the LSS informing the CJ that the society was not a political party, Mkhwanazi said this issue was not a new one.
He made an example that even during the era of a certain former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the then minister allegedly stated that he was reluctant to associate with political parties. Mkhwanazi said this happened at a time when he (minister) did not see eye to eye with the LSS.

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