PROFILE
Hon. Lady Justice Makalo Sosoo Mwaanza is a Judge of the Commercial Division of the High Court at Lusaka, appointed Judge on 27th May 2026. Prior to her current appointment, Justice Mwaanza served as Chief Resident Magistrate at the Lusaka Subordinate Court from April 2025.
Justice Mwaanza holds a Master of Laws in Law and Sustainable Development from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, a Professional Master of Science Degree in Humanitarian and Refugee Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Rhodes University in South Africa.
She also holds a Baccalaureus Juris (B-Juris) Degree from the University of Namibia, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting from the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE), and a Certificate from the School for Legal Practice in South Africa. She was admitted to the Bar in 2014.
Justice Mwaanza served as Senior Research Advocate in the Supreme Court from 2018 to 2025, Assistant Senior Research Advocate in the High Court from 2014 to 2018, and District Registrar of the High Court General and Family Divisions from June 2021 to May 2026.
In private practice, she worked as a Learner Legal Practitioner and Associate at Corpus Legal Practitioners in Zambia from 2012 to 2014. Internationally, she was selected as an International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) candidate in 2014 at Ashurst LLP in London, England. She also practised as a Candidate Attorney at Lebea & Associates Attorneys in South Africa from 2007 to 2009 and at Gcwensa Attorneys from 2006 to 2007.
Her early legal training includes positions as a Student Legal Assistant at the Rhodes Legal Aid Clinic in South Africa and student legal clerkships with Shamwana & Company Advocates in Zambia and Lorentz Angula Incorporated in Namibia.
Justice Mwaanza is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), London, and CIArb Zambia. She also contributed to the profession as an elected Executive Committee Member of CIArb Zambia for 2024 and 2025 and served as Convenor of the Legal Reforms Committee. She is a member of the Magistrates and Judges Association of Zambia (MAJAZ).