News / National
Supreme Court warns human rights lawyer
08 Nov 2012 at 11:10hrs | Views
The Supreme Court has warned Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) legal practitioner, Charles Kwaramba for holding the court in contempt by scandalising a judge and commenting on matters which are sub judice.
Kwaramba, one of the lawyers representing Tungamirai Madzokere and 28 other MDC-T activists accused of murdering police Inspector Petros Mutedza in Glen View in May last year, was given a strong warning by the Supreme Court for scandalising Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.
Kwaramba had approached the Supreme Court seeking recourse for what he termed "adverse findings made against him by Justice Bhunu" when dismissing a bail application for his clients.
However, in response to the application, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said legal practitioners should not show blatant disrespect for the courts and said stringent measures must be applied to protect the dignity of the courts from being impaired by reckless utterances.
He added that Kwaramba should consider himself lucky for being spared from prosecution for contempt of court, adding that Kwaramba should conduct himself in a manner befitting a law officer.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu had earlier severely reprimanded Mr Kwaramba for being quoted in the Daily News saying the law was not being applied fairly and attacking the courts saying the moment a person is labelled MDC, justice is politicised in chambers and in open court.
Kwaramba, one of the lawyers representing Tungamirai Madzokere and 28 other MDC-T activists accused of murdering police Inspector Petros Mutedza in Glen View in May last year, was given a strong warning by the Supreme Court for scandalising Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.
Kwaramba had approached the Supreme Court seeking recourse for what he termed "adverse findings made against him by Justice Bhunu" when dismissing a bail application for his clients.
However, in response to the application, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said legal practitioners should not show blatant disrespect for the courts and said stringent measures must be applied to protect the dignity of the courts from being impaired by reckless utterances.
He added that Kwaramba should consider himself lucky for being spared from prosecution for contempt of court, adding that Kwaramba should conduct himself in a manner befitting a law officer.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu had earlier severely reprimanded Mr Kwaramba for being quoted in the Daily News saying the law was not being applied fairly and attacking the courts saying the moment a person is labelled MDC, justice is politicised in chambers and in open court.
Source - zbc
