As Zambia prepares for the 2026 General Elections, last week we supported a three-day judicial capacity-building initiative under the theme: "Electoral Dispute Resolution Preparedness 2026: Strengthening Judicial Capacity for Credible Electoral Justice”, organized by the Judiciary of Zambia through the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee on Election Management and held in Livingstone.
The training programme brought together over 125 judges from across Zambia’s superior courts, including the Constitutional Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court. Moreover, two relevant international experts were involved: the Honourable Acting Judge Dhayanithie Pillay (Court of Appeal of South Africa), who contributed to the session on "Safeguarding Democratic Integrity Through Electoral Justice", drawing on her extensive judicial experience to offer comparative perspectives on upholding democratic principles through impartial and credible adjudication, and Senior Electoral and Legal Expert Eirini-Maria Gounari, who contributed to the session on "Comparative Electoral Jurisprudence: Judicialization of Electoral Politics", bringing her deep expertise in electoral law and governance to inspire participants with forward-looking insights on managing politically sensitive disputes.
Over the course of the programme, participants were involved in expert-led sessions addressing both the substantive and procedural dimensions of electoral justice. Key thematic areas included constitutional interpretation in electoral disputes, principles of electoral justice and democratic integrity, evidentiary challenges in election petitions, judicial standards for dispute determination and comparative electoral jurisprudence. Particular attention was given to case management across the electoral cycle, recognizing the importance of timely, well-reasoned decisions in maintaining legal certainty and public trust.
A dedicated component of the initiative was integrated into the Bar–Bench Conference, providing a structured platform for dialogue between judges and legal practitioners. Furthermore, recent and proposed legislative amendments affecting election courts were examined, enabling judges to assess their practical implications for electoral adjudication. Comparative perspectives drawn from other jurisdictions, notably Kenya and South Africa, enriched discussions and exposed participants to best practices and emerging jurisprudential trends in managing politically sensitive disputes.
Through this initiative, ECES contributed to enhancing judicial knowledge, practical skills and confidence in handling electoral disputes in a manner that is fair, timely and consistent with constitutional principles. The programme represents a strategic investment in judicial readiness, supporting Zambia’s efforts to deliver credible electoral justice and reinforcing the rule of law.
