By 
At the ongoing judgement delivery concerning the presidential eligibility of Zambia’s former Head of State, Edgar Lungu, the Constitutional Court has strongly condemned the police for restricting access to lawyers representing him.
The case, presided over by a panel of seven judges, including Court President, Margaret Munalula, and her deputy Arnold Shilimi, saw heated exchanges over the treatment of defense lawyers.
During the proceedings, senior defense counsel, Bonaventure Mutale, raised concerns about being denied entry to the court premises by police officers.
“We had to return to our chambers to retrieve identity cards and were still denied access. We had to call the Attorney General and wait for his intervention,” he complained.
In her response, Justice Munalula, rebuked the police, stating, “This court does not condone any activity barring counsel from attending proceedings. We condemn the actions of the police in the strongest terms.”
However, Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha defended the police’s actions, arguing, “We approach the police when we have important matters. Today, we anticipated a large number of lawyers attending, which could delay proceedings. We advised following the session on television.”
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