LAWYERS SHIFT ‘JUDICIAL CRISIS MEETING’

MBABANE – The burning desire by lawyers to discuss the alleged judicial crisis in the country has resulted in their meeting being shifted to an earlier date.

Initially the meeting was slated for Friday but it has since been shifted to today at the Mbabane Club starting at 1pm. Secretary General of the Law Society of Swaziland (LSS), Thulani Maseko, said members felt that Friday was too late as the matters they intended to discuss were by their very nature urgent. “The council of LSS was therefore compelled to shift the meeting to today,” said Maseko.

The alleged judicial crisis which the learned friends intend to discuss during the meeting, includes the ‘justice for sale allegations. During the meeting, the lawyers will also discuss the now litigious appointments of acting judges. Maseko urged lawyers to attend the meeting without fail as the issues that would be discussed were meant to improve the administration of justice in the country. In his speech during the official opening of the High Court of Eswatini 2019 Legal Year, the late LSS President, Mandla Mkhwanazi, said there was a growing concern among attorneys which had filtered to litigants, ‘rightly or wrongly, that our justice is now for sale.’

Perception

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. He said when he delivered his speech, 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.

The Chief Justice, Bheki Maphalala’s response on the allegations 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 then.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: