High Court Strikes Down Controversial Provision Of Criminal Law Amendment

In a landmark judgment hailed as a victory for civil liberties, the High Court of Zimbabwe has declared Section 22A(3) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act unconstitutional. The ruling, delivered by Justice Rogers Manyangadze on Friday, 13 June 2025, found that the provision infringed multiple rights enshrined in the national Constitution. Justice Manyangadze ruled that the contested section violated citizens’ freedom of assembly and association (Section 58), freedom of expression and the media (Section 61), and political rights (Section 67). He also noted that it conflicted with Section 39, which governs the revocation of citizenship. The judgment followed a constitutional challenge brought in July 2023 by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe, a coalition of media support groups, and veteran journalist Zenzele Ndebele. Represented by Charles Kwaramba and Godfrey Nyoni of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the applicants argued that the law was vague, overbroad, and undermined fundamental freedoms. Critics of the legislation, enacted in July 2023, claimed it was crafted to criminalise behaviour deemed harmful to "national interests," a broad interpretation that observers warned has the potential to turn Zimbabwe into authoritarian rule

6/19/2025 2:43:05 PM

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High Court Strikes Down Controversial Provision Of Criminal Law Amendment

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