The Human Rights Commission has opposed government’s plans to introduce legislation to bar subjects from taking traditional leaders to court.
Human Rights Commission chairperson Samuel Kasanka said the announcement by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba that government will introduce legislation to bar subjects from suing chiefs was absurd.
Commission spokesperson Samuel Kasanka said it was a violation of the rights of citizens to seek lega redress by denying them the right to seek justice.
“That announcement by the Justice Minister is not right because as Human rights Commission we have on several occasions intervened in matters where chiefs have abused their subjects like illegal detention, flogging and many other things. So give them blanket protection will not make sense,” Kasanka said.
“We are of the view that government should rethink that approach. It is citizens’ rights to be protected from abuse and they have a right to sue anyone who violates their rights.”
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