The Legal Aid (Amendment) Act , 2026

Legal Aid (Amendment) [No. 23 of 2026 617
An Act to amend the Legal Aid Act. ENACTED by the Parliament of Zambia. 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Legal Aid (Amendment)
Act, 2026, and shall be read as one with the Legal Aid Act, 2021, in
this Act referred to as the principal Act. (2) This Act shall come into operation on the expiry of the
term of office, or removal by the Minister, of the members of the
Board holding office prior to the enactment of this Act, after which
the Minister shall appoint the members of the Board in accordance
with this Act. 2. Section 2 of the principal Act is amended by the insertion of
the following new definitions in the appropriate places in alphabetical
order:
“higher education institution” has the meaning assigned to the
words in the Higher Education Act;
“Human Rights Commission” means the Human Rights
Commission established under the Constitution;
“Law Association of Zambia” means the Law Association of
Zambia established under the Law Association of Zambia
Act; and
Enactment
Short title and
c ommen ce -
ment
Act No. 1
of 2021
Amendment
of section 2
Cap. 136
Cap. 1
Cap. 31
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No.

bia
Act; and
Enactment
Short title and
c ommen ce -
ment
Act No. 1
of 2021
Amendment
of section 2
Cap. 136
Cap. 1
Cap. 31
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No.

23 of 2026
Date of Assent: 4th June, 2026
[ 12th June, 2026
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K 4.00 each.

h June, 2026
[ 12th June, 2026
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K 4.00 each.

618 No. 23 of 2026] Legal Aid (Amendment)
“Zambia Law Development Commission” means the Zambia
Law Development Commission established under the
Zambia Law Development Commission Act;. 3. Section 8 of the principal Act is amended by the deletion of
subsection (2) and the substitution therefor of the following:
(2) The Board consists of the following part-
time members appointed by the Minister:
(a) the Chairperson, who shall be a person
qualified to be a judge of the High Court;
(b) a representative of the Attorney-General;
(c) a representative of the Judiciary;
(d) a representative of the Zambia Law
Development Commission;
(e) a representative of the Human Rights
Commission;
(f) a representative of the Law Association
of Zambia;
(g) two representatives from civil society
organisations providing legal aid;
(h) a representative of a higher education
institution, from the school of law,
providing legal aid; and
(i) two persons from the private sector with
knowledge and expertise in matters
relating to this Act. 4. Paragraph 4(4) of the First Schedule to the principal Act is
amended by the deletion of the word “Six” and the substitution
therefor of the word “Seven”. Cap.

h 4(4) of the First Schedule to the principal Act is
amended by the deletion of the word “Six” and the substitution
therefor of the word “Seven”. Cap.

32
Amendment
of section 8
Amendment
of First
Schedule