About Ziale

The origin of ZIALE can be traced back to 1956 when the Legal Practitioners Ordinance established the Council of Legal Education in Zambia whose main role was to manage the programme on articles of clerkship or Apprenticeship to a solicitor or writer to the signet or Law agent in the United Kingdom or Ireland approved by the Law Society of Zambia. The Council administered prescribed accounts examinations for members coming from Inns of Court or Faculty of Advocates in Scotland who wished to join private practice and was responsible for scrutiny of student members of the Inns of Court in England, Northern Ireland or Ireland or students with the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland who wished to be admitted to the Zambian Bar.

Though having the mandate to offer courses leading to an examination for admission to the Zambian Bar, the Council of Legal Education did not perform this function due to the absence of a Law Practice Institute at that time. The Council of Legal Education was then re-established by the Legal Practitioners Act of 1968 to bring about the Law Practice Institute which was subject to the Council. The Council of Legal Education acted as the regulator while the Law Practice Institute performed the role of legal training provider. The Council of Legal Education acted as the custodian of funds appropriated by Parliament for the running of the Law Practice Institute.

The Law Practice Institute, established by the Minister, was headed by the Dean of the School of Law at the University of Zambia (the only Law School at the time) as part time Director up until 1986. However there was a brief period when a full time Director served the Institute in the mid 70’s The Directorship continued to be part time until 1996 when a full-time Director was recruited.

The 1968 Act provided for a dual system for enrolling for the Legal Practitioners Qualifying Examination Course. It retained the Articles of Clerkship Programme as a means of enrolling in addition to the requirement for a Bachelor of Laws Degree obtained either from the UNZA School of Law or other approved university. It is important to note that the Articles of Clerkship Programme while still on our statute book has not been in use since 1995.

Currently, the Institute is governed by the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education. This Act repealed the Council of Legal Education Act and replaced it with the Council of the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education. It fused the split structure of a Council on one hand and the Law Practice Institute on the other. ZIALE since 1996 is both a regulator and provider of Legal Education in Zambia. In terms of governance, the Chairmanship of the Council which hitherto was vested in the Chief Justice now reposes in the Office of the Attorney General.