The Law Association of Zambia and a consortium of civil society organisations have voiced strong concern over the abrupt shutdown of courts across the country, warning that restricting judicial access undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections.

Civil society leaders emphasised that access to justice and judicial review of electoral processes are fundamental rights that cannot be unilaterally suspended by executive action.

The joint outcry follows action by state police to cordon off several High Court locations, including the Constitutional Court in Lusaka, on the explicit deadline for filing legal petitions regarding the recent presidential election.

The physical blockades prevented opposition candidate Brian Mundubile from lodging his formal court challenge against the election results. Beyond the capital, legal representatives in major regional centres including Livingstone and Chipata were similarly turned away by armed officers guarding judicial premises, leaving standard operations suspended with no official reopening timeline provided.

–ChannelAfrica–