Maputo — Mozambique's Attorney-General, Joaquim Madeira, argued on Tuesday in favour of the creation of a Coordinating Council for Legality and Justice (CCLJ), as an institution that would bring together all the various bodies involved in the administration of justice.

Madeira was speaking at a hearing organised by the Ad-Hoc Commission on Constitutional Amendments set up by the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic. The CCLJ already exists as an informal body, but Madeira wants it not only institutionalised, but enshrined in the Constitution. He has written a proposal to that effect which the Ad-Hoc Commission was discussing.

In addition to the Attorney-General, the CCLJ would include the Presidents of the Supreme Court and of the Administrative Tribunal (the body that deals with the legality of public expenditure), and the Ministers of Justice and of the Interior. Madeira believed that it was the CCLJ, and not the Attorney- General, that should give the annual report to parliament on the state of the justice system. Madeira feels that his office cannot give a full report without treading on the toes of other institutions, such as the Supreme Court.

Several commission members from the ruling Frelimo Party, notably two former justice ministers, Teodato Hunguana and Aly Dauto, were favourable to the proposal - but thought the commission should hear from the other institutions concerned before taking a decision.

Opposition deputies were more sceptical. Luis Boavida, of the former rebel movement Renamo, saw no reason why a simple coordinating mechanism should be enshrined in law, let alone in the constitution.

The Ad-Hoc Commission should also have met on Tuesday with Supreme Court President Mario Mangaze - but he did not show up at the Assembly building. When inquiries were made, Supreme Court officials said they had never received any correspondence about the parliamentary hearing.

However, Assembly staff insist that a fax was sent to the Court on 6 March, followed up by a letter delivered by hand.