NPA Puts Public Trust at the Centre of Justice

By Alain Kabinda

For many citizens, the justice system is experienced not through constitutional provisions or legal statutes, but through a conversation with a prosecutor, a visit to a public office, a court appearance or the way an official responds to a complaint.

It is against this everyday reality that the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has launched a Service Charter, placing public trust, accountability and the quality of service at the centre of its prosecutorial mandate.

The Charter was unveiled on September 11, 2026, during the inaugural NPA Day held under the theme “The People’s Authority: Prosecution in Your Name, Justice for All.”

Speaking at the commemoration and the launch of the Service Charter National Prosecution Authority (NPA) Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert A. Phiri, SC,stated that the occasion was more than an institutional celebration and It was an opportunity to remind prosecutors that the authority they exercise belongs ultimately to the people.

He said prosecution was a form of public power exercised in the name of citizens and must therefore be guided by law, evidence, fairness, independence and justice.

At the heart of the new Charter is a simple but important proposition: justice must not only be delivered; it must also be experienced by citizens as fair, professional, accessible and responsive.

Mr Phiri said the responsibility of a prosecutor goes beyond securing convictions.

“The role of the prosecutor is not merely to secure convictions, but to do justice,” he said, stressing the need for prosecutors to assess evidence objectively, make principled decisions, protect victims’ rights and respect the constitutional rights of accused persons.

For a victim, the prosecution process can represent a search for justice and closure. For a person accused of an offence, it can determine liberty, reputation and livelihood. For communities, the credibility of the justice system can influence whether people trust public institutions enough to report crime and cooperate with investigations.

Mr. Phiri added that this Charter is intended to establish standards around responsiveness, professionalism, courtesy, accessibility and accountability.

But the authority acknowledges that the document will have little value if its commitments remain on paper.

Mr Phiri said, will be whether the standards are reflected in offices, courtrooms and the daily decisions of prosecutors.

The theme of “justice for all” also speaks to a persistent public concern — whether access to justice is equal for people regardless of their social or economic circumstances.

Mr Phiri said justice should not be a privilege reserved for people with influence, resources or connections.

He said the justice system must serve everyone — including marketeers, students, farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, children, the elderly, vulnerable people, victims and accused persons — with fairness, professionalism and respect.

Every interaction with a member of the public can either reinforce confidence in the justice system or deepen perceptions that public institutions are distant and inaccessible.

The Authority says it therefore intends to strengthen its engagement with communities, embrace technology and modern prosecution methods, invest in staff development and work more closely with investigators and other justice institutions.

The NPA leadership stressed that independence does not mean freedom from professional or legal responsibility.

Mr Phiri said prosecutors must not allow personal interests, fear, favour or preferential treatment to influence decisions.

Where evidence and the law provide a sufficient basis for prosecution, the Authority must act without fear or favour. Where the evidence does not support a case, prosecutors must similarly be prepared to make principled decisions.

The challenge, therefore, is to maintain independence while ensuring that the public can understand and assess the quality of services being provided.

The NPA openly acknowledges that there is room for improvement and says the Charter provides a framework for becoming more efficient, accessible and responsive while giving citizens a basis on which to hold the institution accountable.

And Representing Secretary to the Cabinet, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet–Administration Dr Oliver M. Kalabo described the Service Charter as a basic contract between the NPA and the public.

He said citizens often experience government through the individual officer they meet at the front desk, rather than through policies and institutions themselves.

The Charter therefore clarifies what the NPA does, the level of service citizens should expect, the timeframes involved and what recourse is available when standards are not met.

Dr Kalabo said the Charter performs three important functions: clarifying the NPA's mandate, establishing measurable service standards and inviting the public to judge the institution against those standards.

He added that, respects the constitutional independence of the Director of Public Prosecutions under Article 180(7), but that independence must be accompanied by professionalism, efficiency and accessibility.

He further pointed to the decentralisation of NPA services to all ten provinces as part of efforts to ensure justice is felt beyond the capital.

The engagement of the Authority with schools, including Manungu and Kaunda Square Secondary School of Excellence, was also cited as an example of taking the justice conversation closer to communities.

For NPA Board Chairperson Moses Phiri, the Charter should not be treated as another administrative document.

He described it as a promise to the people — a commitment to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of services while ensuring that citizens are treated with dignity.

He also said,the authority has a responsibility to provide strategic direction and oversight, ensure appropriate systems and resources are in place and promote accountability and prudent use of public resources.

But he also emphasised that justice administration is a shared responsibility.

Prosecutors, investigators, the Judiciary, correctional institutions, the legal profession, victims, witnesses and communities all have roles to play, provided each respects the constitutional and legal mandate of the institutions involved.

This means that institutional reform cannot depend solely on policy documents. It also depends on the behaviour of the people who operate the justice system every day.

Mr Phiri warned that staff conduct directly affects the reputation of the Authority because every interaction with the public can either strengthen or weaken confidence in the institution.

The launch of the Service Charter may mark an important institutional milestone, but the NPA leadership says the harder work begins after the ceremony.

Mr Phiri said the Charter's true test will be whether its commitments become part of citizens' daily experiences.

He called on NPA employees to take ownership of the Charter, measure their performance against its standards, learn from complaints, recognise good performance and address shortcomings.

That creates a different kind of relationship between a prosecution authority and the people it serves — one in which authority is matched by responsibility, independence by professionalism, and institutional power by accountability.

Ultimately, the success of the NPA's Service Charter will not be measured by the ceremony at which it was launched or the quality of the document itself.

It will be measured in the experience of the citizen who seeks justice, the victim who needs to be heard, the witness who expects protection, and the accused person who deserves a fair process.

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