No Favourites, No Special Treatment

“The ultimate responsibility is justice,” Mr Phiri said.

He said prosecutors must assess evidence objectively, make principled decisions, protect victims and witnesses, and respect the constitutional rights of accused persons.

Mr Phiri said every case involved people whose lives could be seriously affected by decisions made by prosecutors.

He said victims and their families could be waiting for justice, witnesses could be relying on the justice system for protection, while accused persons faced potentially serious consequences if wrongly prosecuted.

“Professionalism matters. Integrity matters. Competence matters. And service matters,” he said.

Mr Phiri said the Service Charter sets standards for how the NPA should deal with the public, including responsiveness, professionalism, courtesy, accessibility and accountability.

He said victims should be treated with compassion, witnesses with dignity and members of the public assisted appropriately within the law.

He also said the Authority must be willing to acknowledge mistakes, learn from them and improve its work.

On equal access to justice, Mr Phiri said no person should feel that justice was available only to those with money or connections.

He said the justice system must serve farmers, workers, students, entrepreneurs, children, elderly people, victims and accused persons without discrimination.

“All are entitled to a justice system that is fair, professional and respectful of the law,” he said.

Mr Phiri warned prosecutors against allowing personal interests or the status of an accused person to influence their decisions.

“No case should be influenced by personal interest. No person should receive preferential treatment because of their status,” he said.

He also cautioned against using criminal proceedings to settle matters that were properly civil disputes where there was no sufficient legal or evidential basis for prosecution.

At the same time, he said prosecutors must have the courage to proceed with cases where the evidence and law justified prosecution.

Mr Phiri said prosecutorial independence meant being able to make lawful, evidence-based decisions without improper influence.

He said independence, however, did not remove the responsibility of prosecutors to maintain professional standards and remain accountable for the decisions they make.

The DPP said the NPA must also embrace technology, modern prosecution methods and staff development while strengthening cooperation with investigators and other institutions within the justice system.

He said the Authority must listen to victims and witnesses and remain firm against corruption and unethical conduct.

Mr Phiri said the Service Charter now provides members of the public with a basis for assessing the quality of service they receive from the NPA.

He said every interaction between an NPA officer and a member of the public could affect confidence in the institution.

“A Charter is only as meaningful as the conduct of the people who implement it,” he said.

NPA Board Chairperson Moses Phiri said the launch should mark the beginning of a period in which the Authority would be judged by the standards contained in its own Charter.

He said the document should not remain on paper but should guide the conduct of NPA officers in their daily work.

“When we say ‘prosecution in your name’, we are reminding ourselves that the authority exercised by prosecutors is a public trust,” Mr Moses Phiri said.

He said that trust required integrity, fairness, accountability and responsibility.

The Board Chairperson said the performance of the justice system should not be judged only by the number of cases prosecuted or convictions obtained.

He said the manner in which victims, witnesses, accused persons and other members of the public were treated was equally important.

Mr Phiri said the Charter commits the NPA to quality and efficient services, accessibility, dignity, appropriate communication and attention to complaints.

He said the important question now was whether those commitments would be reflected in the daily experience of people dealing with the Authority.

“The real test will be whether the commitments contained in the Charter are translated into the daily experience of the people who interact with the NPA,” he said.

He urged management and staff to take ownership of the Charter, measure their performance against its standards and address weaknesses identified through complaints.

Mr Phiri also called on citizens and stakeholders to hold the NPA accountable.

“Every interaction with a member of the public is an opportunity either to strengthen or weaken confidence in this institution,” he said.

He said the Board would provide strategic direction and oversight while ensuring that the Authority had appropriate systems, structures, resources and accountability measures.

He also stressed that public resources must be used prudently and in the public interest.

Mr Phiri said effective prosecution required cooperation among prosecutors, investigators, the Judiciary, correctional institutions, the legal profession, victims, witnesses, communities and other stakeholders.

Deputy Secretary to Cabinet–Administration Dr Oliver M. Kalabo, who represented the Secretary to Cabinet, said the Service Charter should clearly explain to citizens what services they could expect from the NPA, the standards they should expect and what they could do when those standards were not met.

“At Cabinet Office, we ask a simple question: how does a citizen experience government? A citizen experiences government not through legislation, but through the officer at the front desk,” Dr Kalabo said.

He described the Charter as an understanding between the NPA and the public, setting out the Authority’s mandate, service standards and avenues for redress.

Dr Kalabo said the Charter should provide clarity on the NPA’s responsibilities, make standards measurable and allow the public to scrutinise the Authority’s performance.

“By launching it today, you are doing three things Cabinet Office values highly: first, clarifying your mandate to the public; second, committing to measurable standards of professionalism, courtesy, impartiality and accountability; and third, inviting the public to judge you by those standards,” he said.

Dr Kalabo reaffirmed Government’s respect for the constitutional independence of the DPP under Article 180(7).

“Government fully respects and upholds the Constitutional independence of the Director of Public Prosecutions under Article 180(7),” he said.

He said that independence must be matched by professionalism, efficiency and accessibility.

“A prosecution service that is independent but not professional and not accessible will not earn public trust. And without public trust, the entire justice chain weakens,” Dr Kalabo said.

He said Government supported the decentralisation of prosecution services to all 10 provinces so that access to justice was not concentrated in Lusaka.

Dr Kalabo said NPA outreach activities, including engagements with learners at Manungu and Kaunda Square Secondary School of Excellence, demonstrated the importance of taking public services closer to communities.

He said the NPA should be accessible to citizens across the country.

Dr Kalabo also told NPA officers that the Service Charter would provide protection to those who performed their duties professionally and impartially.

“This Charter is also your shield. When you act professionally, impartially and on the basis of evidence, this Charter protects you,” he said.

He urged staff to apply the Charter in their daily dealings with victims, witnesses and other members of the public.

“I urge you to own it and to live it in your daily work — in how you receive victims, how you handle witnesses, and how you make prosecutorial decisions,” he said.

Dr Kalabo said Cabinet Office would expect the NPA to report against the Charter and allow the public to assess its performance.

“Cabinet Office expects that you will now report against this Charter and let the public hold you to it,” he said.

He commended DPP Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, the NPA Board, management and staff and reaffirmed Government’s support for an independent, professional and people-centred prosecution service.

The launch has placed the NPA under a clear obligation to turn its promises into measurable conduct, with equal treatment, professional service and impartial prosecutorial decisions forming the basis on which the public will judge the Authority.

Prosecution in your name. Justice for all.