By Kelvin Kasiwulaya
Chiredzi Magistrate’s court has warned members of the public against the hiring of bogus lawyers as legal counsel.
The court has issued a notice warning members of the public and clearly stating the persons who are allowed to file court processes.
“Beware of Bogus lawyers,the following persons are allowed to file court processes and must display their business \work identity, legal practitioners, messengers or legal clerks, from law firms,self actors, government entities, private public enterprises, any other person with their identity cards who maybe litigants,”read the notice.
The notice comes after High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi unearthed a fictitious chamber application filed by a suspected bogus lawyer, fears are that many similar Chamber applications may have sailed through undetected.
In his judgement dated September 12 2018,in a matter involving Digit-on Investment Pvt Ltd,WDM Investments Pvt Ltd and Lagher Investment aganist the National Railways of Zimbabwe,Justice Chitapi raised a red flag and alerted fellow judges on his findings.
Justice Chitapi said bogus lawyers were abusing court processes and had gone to the extent of filing chamber applications under the banner of registered law firms a move he said was worrisome.