Attorney-General defends Citizenship Act, urges court to dismiss petition by Zambia Civil Liberties Union
Published: 25/Feb/2025
Source: Zambia Monitor
By AUGUSTINE SICHULA
The Attorney-General, Mulilo Kabesha, has submitted to the Constitutional Court that Zambia’s Citizenship Act was constitutional and does not infringe on any rights.
Kabesha urged the court to dismiss a petition by the Zambian Civil Liberties Union (ZCLU) challenging the status of former refugees, arguing that it does not raise any valid constitutional question requiring interpretation.
The case names multiple government entities as respondents, including the Commissioner for Refugees, the Chief Registrar of the Department of National Registration, Passport and Civil Registration, and the Chief Passport and Citizenship Officer at the Citizenship of Zambia Board.
The respondents argued that the petition was based on statutory provisions rather than a direct constitutional issue, emphasizing that constitutional questions must be resolved through the interpretation of the Constitution itself, not subsidiary legislation.
The government contended that the 17,666 individuals cited in the petition—who allegedly ceased to be recognized as refugees—include asylum seekers, refugees, and former refugees.