In Zambia we have three types of law, ‘public law’, ‘private law’ and ‘constitutional

law’.

‘Public law’ includes the Penal Code, which specifies offences and lays down penalties
for committing them. Its other branch is statute law, consisting of legislation passed by
parliament as and when need arises. Also included are ‘statutory instruments’, often
called ‘subsidiary legislation’. This consists of regulations on matters of detail, which
each minister is empowered to draw up and submit to parliament for approval.

‘Private law’ concerns breaches of contract, or any other form of harm between persons,
which are civil rather than criminal matters.

The third kind of law is ‘constitutional law’….