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Herald Reporter

Government departments are no longer allowed to engage services of private lawyers without the consent of the Attorney-General after President Mnangagwa yesterday operationalised the Attorney-General Office Amendment Act.

The date of commencement of the Act was published in Statutory Instrument 221. The new law is part of the ongoing process of aligning laws with the Constitution adopted in 2013.

“His Excellency the President, in terms of section 1(2) of the Attorney-General’s Office Act (Chapter 7:19) (No. 4 of 2011) (as amended by the Attorney-General’s Office Amendment Act, 2020 (No, 6 of 2020)), hereby fixes the date of publication of this notice as the date on which the said Act shall come into operation,” reads the Statutory Instrument.

All legal advisers working for different ministries and departments will now fall under the AG’s Office in line with the mandate conferred to him by the Constitution as the chief Government legal advisor.