Lawyers slam bid to change Constitution

The government's plan to amend the country's Constitution smacks of sinister motives and bodes ill for good governance, the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) has said.

In a hard-hitting statement, the lawyers' body accused President Robert Mugabe's administration of seeking to usurp the powers of the judiciary in the contentious issue of amending section 180 of the Constitution relating to the appointment of the Chief Justice.

Government, last month, gazetted the amendment Bill that seeks to give the President unfettered powers in appointing the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and Judge President after mere consultation with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), unlike the current situation, where the vacancies are filled through a process that includes public interviews of all nominated persons.