The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has faulted the nomination of Justice Isaac Lenaola to serve as Judge at the Supreme Court.
In a Tuesday statement to the press, NGEC chairperson Winfred Lichuma said the JSC contravened the two-thirds gender rule stipulated in the constitution.
She accused the JSC of discriminating against women by selecting Lenaona the replacement of retired Justice Philip Tunoi where both office bearers are men.
"We are dismayed that JSC despite our advice on the compliance with the two-thirds gender principle failed to adhere to the Constitution by nominating a man as Judge of the Supreme Court," Lichuma said.
She further lamented that out of the seven at the Supreme Court, five are male while only two are female, something which translates to 71.4 and 28.6 per cent respectively.
"This is outrightly unconstitutional as far as the not-more-than-two-thirds gender principle is concerned," the commission said.
"Article 27(8), a provision in the Bill of Rights, provides that the state shall take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender, popularly referred to as the two-thirds gender principle," said Lichuma.
NGEC now wants JSC to rescind their decision and instead ensure they add another female nominee to their names proposed to the National Assembly for vetting.