Court grants Harrington judicial review over Forest 27

SILUMESI MALUMOwrites @sunzambian THE High Court has granted leave for judicial review on the refusal by deputy Chief Justice to appoint a tribunal to investigate forest 27 matter, former Minister of Tourism William Harrington has said.Mr Harrington and an environmentalist Robert Chimambo recently filed an application in the Court of Appeal to renew the judicial review seeking to challenge decision by deputy Chief Justice to refuse to establish a tribunal.Lusaka High Court Judge Catherine Lome Phiri on April 15, this year threw out the application, stating that it fell below the required standard.But Mr Harrington and Mr Chimambo in a fresh application said they were not served with any documents to the effect.In this matter, the Attorney General Likando Kalaluka is a respondent.Mr Harrington said he and Mr Chimambo only came to know about the ruling on the matter through the media.This prompted the two to file application in a Court of Appeal in order to be heard on the matter.Mr Harrington said they had been advised by the lawyers that the proper procedure when denied leave to commence judicial review was to renew the application before the Court of Appeal.In an interview yesterday, Mr Harrington said: “We are pleased to confirm that the High Court of Zambia has finally granted us leave to apply for judicial review on the refusal of the deputy Chief Justice to appoint a tribunal to investigate the Forest Reserve number 27 matter.”“We want the tribunal to investigate whether the Minister of Lands was in breach of the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct CAP.16 of the Laws of Zambia by using her privileged position to grant herself and on behalf of other persons plots in forest 27,” he said.He added: “We are now awaiting upon the High Court to set a date for an inter parte hearing where we have sued the Attorney General as respondent in the matter.” The Sun