Lawyers welcome AG’s Office decentralisation

Fidelis Munyoro-Chief Court Reporter

Decentralising the Attorney General’s Office was long overdue and lawyers welcomed the development, saying it advances the Government devolution agenda, taking the office to the people.

The Government announced Wednesday that the AG’s office is at an advanced stage of full operationalisation through the setting up of offices in and outside Harare to facilitate access to legal services for all. 

This followed the recent approval of the new structure by President Mnangagwa.

In an interview yesterday, Law Society of Zimbabwe president Mrs Rumbidzai Matambo welcomed the developments.

She said the AG’s office had become quite seriously incapacitated to the detriment of the Government, which relies on the office as legal adviser and the public at large. 

“The proposal to set up offices in and out of Harare will facilitate access to justice and promote the devolution agenda,” she said. “As a profession we also welcome the plan to fill vacant posts as this also provides employment opportunities for our members.”

Mrs Matambo urged the AG’s office to fast-track the ongoing changes.

Veteran lawyer Mr Obert Gutu said the AG’s office was a critical establishment in the governance structure of Zimbabwe. 

The AG, as the Government of Zimbabwe’s chief legal advisor occupies a very important office that is literally the State’s number one lawyer, structuring, scrutinising and designing all bilateral and multi-lateral legal agreements that involve the State.

“As and when necessary, the AG is also constitutionally mandated to represent the State in regional and international courts of justice,” he said.

The AG, added Mr Gutu, was also responsible for drafting all Bills and statutory instruments that are tabled in Parliament with the exception of private Bills that, however, are extremely rare in this country.

“Thus, the decentralisation of the AG’s Office dovetails with the Government’s devolution agenda, taking the AG’s Office to the people as opposed to taking the people to the AG’s Office,” he said. “The operationalisation of the Attorney General’s Office Act is thus a welcome development that was actually long overdue.

“The AG’s Office will now have its tentacles spread throughout the length and breadth of the country and this is of fundamental and significant relevance in helping the Office to nurture a grassroots connection and link with the people, particularly when it comes to drafting Bills and statutory instruments that are of benefit to ordinary citizens.”

Another legal expert, Mr Terence Hussein, said it was important for Government departments not to wait in queue for legal advice from Harare. 

“The primary role of the AG is to provide legal advice to Government and state agencies,” he said. “Having regional offices could be useful to Government departments as they would get advice from their local office without waiting in line for advice from Harare. This will help in speeding up processes.” 

The AG’s Office is now a statutory body following the enactment of the Attorney General’s Office Act.

It is instructed in terms of the Constitution to advise and represent the Government in all legal matters, draft all legislation, to protect the rule of law and defend the public interest. 

The office will soon advertise to fill in vacant posts to enhance its efficiency.