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This report, published by the Institute for Security Studies in April 2009 as part of the African Human Security Initiative (AHSI), evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system in Zambia. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including desktop research, interviews, and focus groups with 1,000 respondents across various provinces. It examines the legal framework, the role of law enforcement, the judiciary, prisons, and customary justice, while highlighting significant challenges in accessing official crime statistics and government records.

This report examines the judicial system of Zambia, detailing its dual legal structure, the hierarchy of its courts, and the systemic challenges affecting the delivery of justice. It focuses on issues of judicial independence, the administration of the death penalty, the fragmented state of juvenile justice, and the barriers preventing poor and rural populations from accessing legal aid and formal courts.