The Zimbabwe Guardian (London)
Dyke Sithole
2 May 2008
CASES of indiscipline within the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) are reported to be on the increase, a development which has undermined the reputation of the legal body.
Sources in the legal fraternity told the Zimbabwe Guardian this week that incidents relating to overcharging clients, fraud and unorthodox means of scouting for clients had rocked the profession.
"The Society is concerned with rising cases of indiscipline within the profession. About 110 cases of indiscipline were brought to the attention of the society last year," said a lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Most of the cases relate to 'lack of communication' where a client wants to know what is happening in his or her case, but the lawyer is not telling the truth. There are also issues to do with overcharging, as well as a small number of fraud cases."
The source said some lawyers were also in the habit of paying police officers kickbacks for scouting clients for the lawyers when they arrest accused persons.
"When the officers arrest an accused person, they impress upon that particular person that in order for them to be acquitted they had to be referred to the "best" lawyer. Meanwhile the officer and the lawyer would have made prior arrangements," said one lawyer.
Recently the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa accused the LSZ of turning itself into a political party and warned that the government might soon be forced to take "corrective measures to ensure that the body remained professional."
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