Arthur Mutambara v The Attorney General of Zimbabwe & Commissioner General of Police

[2015] ZWCCZ 11

Analyze with AI

Case Details

Court

Constitutional Court

Date

18 November 2015

Citation

[2015] ZWCCZ 11

Judgment No.

CCZ 11/15

Outcome

unknown

Case Type

Application

Bench

Presiding

CHIDYAUSIKU CJ

Author

GWAUNZA JA

Full Bench

CHIDYAUSIKU CJMALABA DCJZIYAMBI JCCGWAUNZA JCCGARWE JCCGOWORA JCCHLATSHWAYO JCCGUVAVA JCCMAVANGIRA AJCC

Areas of Law

Constitutional LawCriminal Law

Keywords

freedom of expressioncontempt of courtscandalising the courtconstitutional rightss 182(1) Criminal Law Code

Key Issues

{"issue_text":"Whether s 182(1) of the Criminal Law Code violates the right to freedom of expression under s 20(1) of the Constitution","issue_type":"constitutional","dispositive":"yes","related_facts":"Applicant's publication of article criticizing judiciary"}
{"issue_text":"Whether s 182(1) violates the right to freedom of association under s 21(1) of the Constitution","issue_type":"constitutional","dispositive":"yes","related_facts":"Arrest of applicant and his associates from newspaper"}
{"issue_text":"Whether s 182(1) violates the right to protection from discrimination under s 23 of the Constitution","issue_type":"constitutional","dispositive":"yes","related_facts":"Selective prosecution compared to presidential candidate"}

This summary was generated by AI. Use Zalari to read the full judgment.

background

Facts of the Case

Background

The applicant, a political leader, wrote an article published on 20 April 2008 criticizing the judiciary, particularly Judge Tendai Uchena's decision. He was arrested on 1 June 2008 for allegedly contravening s 182(1) (contempt of court) and s 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law Code. He challenged the constitutionality of s 182(1) alleging violations of his rights to freedom of expression, association and protection from discrimination.

Read the full judgment, get AI analysis, and find related cases

Open in Zalari →

Zalari is Zimbabwe and Southern Africa's leading AI-powered legal research platform, built by DeepCounsel and powered by Nyamaropa Technologies. Search Zimbabwe Supreme Court and High Court case law instantly, get AI-generated answers with full source citations, and access the most comprehensive corpus of Zimbabwean and Southern African jurisprudence available online. Zalari is the go-to legal AI platform for attorneys, advocates, law students, judges, and corporate counsel across Zimbabwe and South Africa — delivering faster research, smarter insights, and a competitive edge in legal practice. Zalari does not provide legal advice. Always consult a qualified legal practitioner for advice specific to your situation. © 2026 DeepCounsel — a legal technology company democratising access to legal knowledge in Africa.