ZAMBIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Mweshi Banda-Mutuna, Musenge Leah Nkonde and Lumbanya Judah Mulenga, Mweshi Banda & Associates Legal Practitioners
original award and arbitration agreement or certified copies of both are exhibited. 9.3 Length of Time Enforcement proceedings take two to three months between filing of the application and obtaining of the order recognising or registering the arbitral award, unless the unsuccessful party challenges the appli- cation. 9.4 Grounds for Resisting Enforcement Under the Foreign Judgments Act, enforcement of for- eign judgments can be resisted on the basis that the enforcement proceedings were commenced six years after the delivery of the foreign judgment by the court in the foreign country, or the foreign judgment is not final and conclusive as between the parties – such as when there is an appeal pending thereto, or if the judg- ment has ordered payment of taxes or other charges of a like nature, or a fine or other penalty. Under the Arbitration Act, enforcement of an arbitral award can be resisted on the following grounds: • a party to the arbitration agreement was under incapacity or the agreement is invalid; • the party was not properly notified of the arbitra- tor’s appointment or proceedings, or was unable to present their case; • the award addresses disputes beyond the scope of the arbitration agreement (though separable valid parts may still be enforced); • the tribunal’s composition or procedure was incon- sistent with the parties’ agreement or the law of the arbitration seat; • the award is not yet binding; and • the award has been set aside or suspended by a competent court.
That said, Zambia has developed a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024–2026), which, while not legally binding, establishes a policy framework for AI governance. One of its key pillars is the development of a regulatory and governance framework aimed at ensuring the ethical, responsible and secure deploy- ment of AI. This includes proposals for adaptive regu- lation and the formulation of guidelines addressing issues such as accountability, data governance and risk management. However, these measures remain at the policy stage and have not yet been translated into enforceable rules applicable to dispute resolution or legal practice. The Data Protection Act No 3 of 2021 is the primary statute governing the processing of personal data by automated means and non-electronic means. The use of AI tools that process parties’ personal data in dispute resolution, for example, AI legal research platforms or document review systems that ingest client information, must comply with the Act’s data protection obligations. Although no Zambia-specific AI guidelines have been issued for arbitration, the Chartered Institute of Arbi- trators (CIArb) globally published its Guidelines on the Use of AI in Arbitration in 2025. CIArb Zambia Branch, as an affiliate of CIArb, would be expected to encour- age the use of these Guidelines in proceedings that it administers. The CIArb Guidelines encourage arbitra- tors to take a proactive role in managing the use of AI in arbitration, including discussing AI use early in the proceedings, appointing AI experts where relevant, and requiring disclosure of AI tools used by parties. 10.2 Impact Current Stage of AI Adoption in Zambian Dispute Resolution The adoption of AI in Zambian dispute resolution remains at an early and largely informal stage. The most visible and immediate impact of AI on dispute resolution in Zambia is in the field of legal research and document management. Legal practitioners in Zambia have begun engaging with AI-powered legal research platforms, specifically large language mod- els and generative AI tools, to assist with case law research, drafting of pleadings and submissions, con- tract analysis and document review. ZambiaLII, the
10. Dispute Resolution and AI 10.1 Regulation
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in dispute resolu- tion is not regulated in this jurisdiction. This is, how- ever, subject to data protection laws and arbitration principles on due process and constitutional due pro- cess requirements.
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