The Constitutional Court has dismissed a contempt of court application filed against the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, and 164 lawmakers for their involvement in proceedings related to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. Judge Judy Mulongoti dismissed the application on the grounds that the main petition from which the alleged contempt arose had already been disposed of. The contempt application was filed by former Lumezi parliamentarian Munir Zulu and lawyer Celestine Mukandila.
They sought to have the Speaker, presiding officers, clerks, and lawmakers cited and jailed for contempt, arguing that the National Assembly acted illegally by tabling the Bill after the Constitutional Court had declared the process unconstitutional. The petitioners contended that following the court’s judgment on June 7, 2025—which stated the process leading to Bill 7 was unconstitutional and lacked mandatory consultation—the Bill should have been completely withdrawn and a new process initiated. They argued that merely deferring the Bill was “highly contemptuous and disrespectful” to the court.
When the case was heard, Matero lawmaker Miles Sampa, one of the named individuals, appeared in court with his lawyer. Sampa stated that upon learning of the contempt application, he personally stopped attending any parliamentary sessions concerning Bill 7 pending the lawsuit’s outcome. In her ruling, Judge Mulongoti stated that the application was “misconceived,” as interlocutory applications are typically made during or pending the hearing of a main matter, which in this case was concluded on June 27, 2025.
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“…interlocutory applications are typically made during or pending the hearing of the main matter, which in this case, has been disposed of. So, this interlocutory application is misconceived and cannot be entertained. I accordingly dismiss it,” Judge Mulongoti ruled.
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