Director of Public Prosecutions, Gilbert A Phiri – State Counsel was called to the inner bar on Thursday, 16th February 2023 in the Supreme Court of Zambia. The ceremony completes the process of the attainment of the rank of State Counsel, which was conferred upon him on appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions.Appointment as State Counsel is an office, conferred by the President of the Republic of Zambia that is recognised by the Courts. Members have the privilege of sitting within the inner bar of court, closer to the Judge. Because members wear silk gowns of a particular design, appointment as State Counsel is known informally as receiving, obtaining, or taking silk and SCs are often colloquially called silks.Congratulations to the newest silks in town!!

The Mansa High Court has reviewed and reversed the decision of the Mansa Subordinate Court to charge and convict 2 prosecutors of contempt of Court. 3 prosecutors namely Robert Mwondela, Justin Mwanang’ombe and Venatio Phiri, all based at the Luapula Provincial Prosecutions Office at Mansa were charged with contempt in the face of the Court on 8th July 2022 by Honorable Muyunda. In the morning of 8th July 2022, the 3 prosecutors were waiting outside the courtroom for the Magistrate to conclude with her civil matters in order for them to proceed with their prosecution business of the day. Unknown to them the Magistrate concluded the civil cases and begun calling the criminal cases without notifying the prosecutors of the switch in proceedings. The prosecutors noticed this from outside the courtroom and when they rushed in, they were charged with

The NPA has successfully recovered over K700,000 cash which was stolen and laundered by a Mauritian national who was employed by a Zambian based Mauritian Company Forges Tardieu Zambia Limited (FTZ) in Mazabuka district of the Southern province of Zambia. Mr. Dhiraj Dhumputh was employed as a Site Construction Manager by the Company and proceeded to engage in fraudulent activities using fake receipts, invoices and delivery orders. The case was reported to the Drug Enforcement Commission who forwarded the matter to NPA for trial. The NPA launched a 2 pronged, parallel approach in the matter which involved criminal proceeding and civil forfeiture proceedings at the same time. Mr Dhumputh raised defences in both matters, however Honorable Justice Susan Wanjelani found that the money was tainted and forfeited it to the State in the civil proceeding, a similar position was taken

Mr. Tie Mwape, an 81 year old man, was acquitted for the offence of Trafficking in Psychotropic Substances contrary to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act No.35 of 2021. Despite being found in possession of Cannabis also known as Marijuana, the senior citizen was acquitted due to a legal technicality. The third schedule of the said Act, provides that a product must have more than 0.3 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in Cannabis, to be deemed a psychotropic substance. Due to the qualitative and not quantitative testing methods currently available, the percentage of the tetrahydrocannabinol in the cannabis found on Mr. Mwape could not be presented to the court, resulting in the acquittal.