VOA标准英语2009-Zimbabwe Lawyers Protest Harassment

By Ish Mafundikwa
Harare
16 November 2009

 
The Law Society of Zimbabwe on Monday petitioned the Minister of Justice to stop harassing¹ its members. The lawyers say law enforcement agents are harassing them for carrying out their duties.

At least 70 lawyers braved a lunchtime downpour to march from the High Court to the Minister of Justice's offices in downtown Harare. Although they say they had informed the minister to expect them, minister Patrick Chinamasa was not in his office to receive their petition.

Law Society spokesman Chris Mhike addressed his colleagues as he emerged from the minister's office.

"We are not happy that the minister is not available to attend to our issues. However because our petition has been received, that gives us consolation² because he will be aware of the issues that we have raised," he said.

The issues Mhike referred to include the harassment³, arrest and detention⁴ of lawyers, for what the lawyers say is simply carrying out their professional duties. Their petition cites the arrest of four lawyers this year and the harassment of others. The petition says all this is unconstitutional. In addition, it says, the government is contravening⁵ international agreements that are meant to protect lawyers as they carry out their duties.

The lawyers called for among other things, the resignation of attorney general Johannes Tomana who is seen as being behind their harassment. Their petition also urges the government to have all law enforcement agents who interfere⁶ with lawyers' work prosecuted⁷.

Earlier in the day the lawyers were at Harare magistrates⁹ court where lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu who was arrested earlier this month for allegedly obstructing¹⁰ the course of justice appeared before a magistrate⁸ for a remand hearing.

 

1 harassing   

v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人）

参考例句：

• The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近，不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句

2 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

3 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

4 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

5 contravening   

v.取消，违反( contravene的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The company was found guilty of contravening safety regulations. 那家公司被判违反了安全条例。
• You are contravening the regulations. 你违反了规定。 来自辞典例句

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

8 magistrate   

n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官

参考例句：

• The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
• John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

9 magistrates   

地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
• He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。

10 obstructing   

阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway. 你不能在这里停车，你挡住了我家的车道。
• He was charged for obstructing the highway. 他因阻碍交通而受控告。