“The outcome of the study indicates that Zambia needs to undertake major reforms in its criminal justice system to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Many important protocols in this area have not yet been ratified, while the country’s capacity to process these instruments seems to be inadequate. In addition, not all the signed instruments have been ratified and a further weakness in Zambia’s capacity to process these instruments is the country’s failure to
domesticate some of the ratified treaties. While the positive impact of ratifying
these instruments cannot be questioned, it should be emphasised that domestication is critical. Unless the instruments are domesticated, the country will be unable to prescribe and impose penalties on offenders irrespective of where the crime has been committed, as the instruments would not be part of the laws of the land.”
