AFRICAN HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE

This report introduces the African Human Security Initiative's (AHSI) review of the criminal justice system in Zambia. It details the methodology used to assess law enforcement, the judiciary, prisons, and customary justice, while outlining the constitutional history and legal framework of Zambia.

• The African Human Security Initiative (AHSI) is a consortium of organisations that aims to complement the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by reviewing criminal justice systems in selected African countries to provide empirical evidence to governments and identify structural weaknesses.
• Researchers encountered significant obstacles in obtaining official crime statistics in Zambia, as the police generally do not release such figures to the public or researchers, and requests for senior officials were often ignored.
• The review of Zambia's law enforcement and prison services was hindered by a lack of transparency and cooperation from state security institutions; the Commissioner of Prisons refused access to officers and prisoners, and the Inspector General of Police delayed interview approval for two months.
• Zambia operates under a dual legal system consisting of general law (based on English common law, the Constitution, and statutes) and customary law, the latter of which is more widely understood by the general population.
• Zambia's constitutional history since independence in 1964 has been marked by instability and frequent changes, including a transition to a one-party state in 1973 and a return to multiparty politics in 1991.
• Despite the existence of a Bill of Rights in the 1996 Constitution and an autonomous Human Rights Commission, reports indicate that human rights violations occur frequently, particularly within prisons and detention centres.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). AFRICAN HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M159CHAP1.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. AFRICAN HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M159CHAP1.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=AFRICAN HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M159CHAP1.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndafrican, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{AFRICAN HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M159CHAP1.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }