Justice Dr Mumba Malila
Justice Dr. Mumba Malila is the Chief Justice of the Republic of Zambia, appointed on December 22, 2021. Prior to this role, he served as a Judge of the Supreme Court since 2014. Admitted to the Zambian Bar in 1989, he was appointed State Counsel in 2006, recognizing his distinguished legal service.
Justice Malila brings a wealth of national, regional, and international legal experience. He previously chaired the Zambian Human Rights Commission and served as Vice Chairperson and Commissioner on the African Union Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He also served on the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Within the African Commission, he held special mandates on prisons, the death penalty, indigenous populations, and extractive industries.
In Zambia, he has held senior public roles including twice serving as Attorney General and as legal advisor to three presidents. He has chaired several national legal bodies such as the ZIALE Council, the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
Justice Malila has taught law at the University of Zambia and University of Lusaka and lectured at legal institutions including ZIALE. His professional affiliations include being an ADR Centre Accredited Mediator, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society.
An award-winning legal scholar, his honors include Transparency International Zambia’s Recognition Award (2010) and the Human Rights Commission Award (2019). He has authored numerous influential books on Zambian law and jurisprudence.
He currently serves as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United Church of Zambia and holds an Honorary Life Membership with the Lions Club of Fairview.
Justice Malila is widely respected for his legal intellect, dedication to human rights, and principled leadership in advancing justice and constitutionalism in Zambia and beyond.