Zambia Enacts Law Banning Bail for Sexual Offense Cases
Princess Kasune Zulu — once a child bride and later one of Zambia’s first public figures to reveal her HIV status in the late 1990s — is now driving a sweeping shift in criminal justice. Her ministry has...
Princess Kasune Zulu — once a child bride and later one of Zambia’s first public figures to reveal her HIV status in the late 1990s — is now driving a sweeping shift in criminal justice. Her ministry has spearheaded a law that makes sexual offences non-bailable, placing her at the forefront of a landmark legal overhaul.
Under the reform, all sexual offences are now non-bailable. With the passage of the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act No. 4 of 2026, suspects accused of grave crimes in Zambia — including child sexual abuse, rape and incest — must be held in custody until courts deliver their rulings, closing a key avenue for pretrial release.
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The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has hailed the change as a progressive step forward.