News / National
The Zimbabwe Government remains in contempt of court and continues to flout the rule of law
17 May 2017 at 21:54hrs | Views
International rule of law expert Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC points out the Zimbabwe Government's continued contempt of court, which begs the question whether it is legal and ethical for the international community to continue financing the Zimbabwe government without calling this into question.
Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC has written the letter below and attached about the Zimbabwe Government's continued contempt of court and its failure to even take preliminary steps in righting this situation.
He has done this in view of the fact that the international community and foreign funders such as the UNDP, World Bank, IMF, EU, UK and others need to ask questions of the Zimbabwe Government regarding its continued defiance of the landmark Campbell Judgment (see below) and the rule of law implications that relate to it. Is it ethical - legally and morally, to finance a government which is in continued contempt of court?
The letter is pertinent to all those concerned about the rule of law and its paramount importance in the longed for – and desperately needed - recovery of Zimbabwe.
Sir Jeffrey was the founder director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law (an influential international body); and the UK Member of the Council of Europe's Commission for Democracy Through Law (the 'Venice Commission', which provides advice to countries in Europe and beyond on rule of law issues). He has advised a number of countries on their constitutions, on their law-making, electoral, law-enforcement and regulatory systems and on techniques to ensure access to justice, rights and judicial independence.
Sir Jeffrey was involved in the Campbell case in the Southern African Development Community's SADC Tribunal. Mike Campbell (Pvt) Ltd et al. v. Republic of Zimbabwe was a landmark test case decided by the SADC Tribunal, based in Windhoek, Namibia, in 2008. The Tribunal held that the Zimbabwe Government violated the organisation's treaty by denying access to the courts and engaging in racial discrimination in the confiscation of land in the land expropriation programme in Zimbabwe.
Sir Jeffrey is a leading authority on administrative law, including the necessary powers of the State and ways to ensure good and lawful governance.
He is described in "Legal 500" 2016 as "A giant of the English bar and an expert on rule of law issues generally." The Times "100 List" describes him as "a leading authority on public, constitutional and administrative law."
His letter (below and attached) is therefore of great importance.
---------
Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC has written the letter below and attached about the Zimbabwe Government's continued contempt of court and its failure to even take preliminary steps in righting this situation.
He has done this in view of the fact that the international community and foreign funders such as the UNDP, World Bank, IMF, EU, UK and others need to ask questions of the Zimbabwe Government regarding its continued defiance of the landmark Campbell Judgment (see below) and the rule of law implications that relate to it. Is it ethical - legally and morally, to finance a government which is in continued contempt of court?
The letter is pertinent to all those concerned about the rule of law and its paramount importance in the longed for – and desperately needed - recovery of Zimbabwe.
Sir Jeffrey was the founder director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law (an influential international body); and the UK Member of the Council of Europe's Commission for Democracy Through Law (the 'Venice Commission', which provides advice to countries in Europe and beyond on rule of law issues). He has advised a number of countries on their constitutions, on their law-making, electoral, law-enforcement and regulatory systems and on techniques to ensure access to justice, rights and judicial independence.
Sir Jeffrey is a leading authority on administrative law, including the necessary powers of the State and ways to ensure good and lawful governance.
He is described in "Legal 500" 2016 as "A giant of the English bar and an expert on rule of law issues generally." The Times "100 List" describes him as "a leading authority on public, constitutional and administrative law."
His letter (below and attached) is therefore of great importance.
---------
Source - Ben Freeth
