Zambia · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Zambia, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- Constitution
- Supreme law; inconsistent legislation is void.
- Acts of Parliament
- Primary legislation, published in the Government Gazette.
- English common law and doctrines of equity
- Received law, as modified by statute and local circumstance.
- Customary law
- Applied in local courts; valid so far as not repugnant to natural justice or morality.
- Case law
- Binding precedent from the Supreme and Constitutional Courts.
The legislative process
Bills are published in the Gazette, read three times in the National Assembly with committee scrutiny, and presented for presidential assent. Constitutional amendments require two-thirds of the membership, and amendments touching the bill of rights or the sovereignty provisions additionally require a national referendum — the reason several attempted rights reforms have stalled.
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