Malawi gained independence from Britain on 6 July 1964. Malawi became a multi-party state in 1994, after three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) was elected President in 1994 and 1999.
President Bingu wa Mutharika was elected in May 2004 as the UDF candicate after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit him another term as President. The UDF however did not win an outright majority and had to form a government of national unity with several opportion parties. In 2005 Mutharika started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and was reelected to a second term in May 2009. In 2011 protests over economic hardships and political issues lead to violence.
In April 2012 Bingu wa Mutharika died of a heart attack, and was succeeded by his Vice-President Joyce Banda. Her succession was uncertain because Banda and Mutharika fell out after a row over the succession in 2010, and she was expelled from the ruling DPP. However she remained Vice-President of the country. The Constitution stipulates that the Vice-President becomes President should the President die or be incapacitated.
On 7 April 2012, Mutharika's cabinet sought a court order to block Banda from becoming president. In turn, she asked for the support of the army commander, General Henry Odillo; he agreed and stationed troops around her house. Banda was subsequently sworn in as President.
In May 2014 Banda was succeeded by Peter Mutharika (the younger brother of the former Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika).
Malawi has a mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Malawi has a constitution dating from 18 May 1994 which has provisions providing that every detained person has the right to be detained under conditions consistent with human dignity while arrested persons have the right to be released from detention unless the interests of justice require otherwise.
No comprehensive listing of the laws of Malawi is available online.
ACJR has worked in Malawi for number of years, in partnership with a range of paralegal organisations working with the Malawi Ministry of Justice, Malawi Prison Service and Malawi Police.
Le Malawi a acquit son indépendance de la Grande-Bretagne le 6 Juillet 1964 et devint un Etat multipartite en 1994, après trois décennies de règne du parti unique, sous la présidence de Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Bakili Muluzi, du Front Démocratique Uni (UDF), fut élu président en 1994 et en 1999.
En Mai 2004, Bingu wa Mutharika fut élu président entant que candidat de l’UDF après une tentative ratée de son prédécesseur d'amender la Constitution afin de briguer un nouveau mandat présidentiel. Toutefois, n’ayant pas remporté les élections avec une majorité absolue, l'UDF dû former un gouvernement d'union nationale avec plusieurs partis d'opposition. En 2005, M. Mutharika créât son propre parti (le Parti Démocrate-Progressiste -DPP) et fut réélu pour un second mandat présidentiel en Mai 2009. En 2011, les protestations contre les difficultés économiques et des revendications politiques conduisirent à des violences dans le pays.
En Avril 2012, Bingu wa Mutharika décéda des suites d'une crise cardiaque et fut remplacé par la vice-présidente, Joyce Banda. La prise du pouvoir présidentiel par Joyce Banda était incertaine suite aux différends qui l’avaient opposé à M. Mutharika autour de la succession de ce dernier en 2010 ; différends qui avaient conduit à l’expulsion de Banda du DPP, parti au pouvoir. Cependant et malgré cette expulsion, Banda avait continue d’exercer els fonctions de vice-président du pays.
La Constitution Malawite stipule que le vice-président devient président s’il advient que le président meure ou soit frappé d'incapacité. Le 7 Avril 2013, le cabinet de M. Mutharika demanda un arrêt de la Cour afin d’empêcher l’accession de Banda à la présidence. À son tour, Banda demanda et obtint le soutien du commandant de l'armée, le général Henry Odillo, qui cantonna des troupes autour de la maison de Banda et asura sa protection jusqu’à sa prestation de serment en tant que président du Malawi.
En mai 2014, Peter Mutharika (le frère cadet de l'ancien président malawien Bingu wa Mutharika) a succédé à Banda en tant que President.
Le Malawi est doté d ‘un système judiciaire mixte de common law et de droit coutumier.
La Constitution date du 18 mai 1994 et comporte des dispositions prévoyant que toute personne détenue a le droit d'être détenue dans des conditions respectant la dignité humaine, et que les personnes arrêtées ont le droit d'être remises en liberté à moins que les intérêts de la justice n’exigent leurs détention.
L'ACJR a travaillé au Malawi pendant un certain nombre d'années, en partenariat avec une gamme d'organismes parajuristes travaillant avec le ministère de la Justice du Malawi, le Service pénitentiaire du Malawi et la Police du Malawi.
Esta secção contém uma breve descrição do sistema jurídico do Malawi e elenca pesquisas e documentos pertinentes à justiça preventiva no Malawi.
O Malawi ganhou a independência da Grã-Bretanha em 6 de Julho de 1964. Malawi tornou-se um Estado multi-partidário em 1994, após três décadas de regime de partido único sob a presidência de Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Bakili Muluzi da Frente Democrática Unida (United Democratic Front, UDF) foi eleito presidente em 1994 e 1999.
O Presidente Bingu wa Mutharika foi eleito em Maio de 2004 como candidato do UDF após uma fracassada tentativa do presidente anterior para emendar a Constituição que lhe permitisse mais um mandato como presidente. O UDF no entanto não ganhou uma maioria absoluta e teve de formar um governo de unidade nacional com vários partidos da oposição. Em 2005 Mutharika criou o seu próprio partido, o Partido Democrático Progressista (Democratic Progressive Party, DPP) e foi reeleito para um segundo mandato em Maio de 2009. Em 2011, protestos sobre as dificuldades económicas e questões políticas levaram o pais à violência.
Em Abril de 2012 Bingu wa Mutharika morreu de um ataque cardíaco, e foi sucedido por o seu vice-presidente Joyce Banda. A sua sucessão era incerta porque Banda e Mutharika discutiram sobre a sucessão em 2010, e ela foi expulsa do DPP no poder. No entanto, ela manteve-se Vice-Presidente do país. A Constituição prevê que o Vice-Presidente assume a presidência no caso o presidente morrer ou ficar incapacitado.
Em 7 de Abril, o gabinete de Mutharika tentou uma acção judicial para impedir Banda de se tornar presidente. Por sua vez, ela pediu o apoio do comandante do Exército, general Henry Odillo; ele concordou colocando tropas em torno de sua casa. Banda foi posteriormente empossada como Presidente.
O Malawi tem um sistema jurídico misto de direito comum Inglês e de direito consuetudinário.
O Malawi tem uma Constituição que data de 18 de Maio de 1994, com disposições que preveem que todas as pessoas detidas tem o direito a condições compatíveis com a dignidade humana, enquanto as pessoas presas têm o direito de ser libertadas da prisão, a menos que os interesses da justiça exigir o contrário.
Nenhum elenco detalhado das legislações do Malawi está disponível online.
A ACJR trabalhou no Malawi há vários anos, em parceria com uma série de organizações paralegais que trabalham com o Ministério da Justiça do Malawi, o Serviço Penitenciário do Malawi ea Polícia do Malawi.
Chimwemwe Mphembedzu at 15 was arrested on suspicion of homicide. He was remanded in prison for four years when he contracted a life-threatening illness. His application for bail, some four years after arrest, succeeded, and was partly based on custody time limits provided for in section 161F of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code.
Habeous Corpus Application; ten years awaiting trial.
An Act to consolidate the law relating to children by making provision for child care and protection and for child justice; and for matters of social development of the child and for connected matters
"The Applicants’ affidavits show that he is a convicted prisoner serving a 12 year prison term effective 2006. He was first at Chichiri Prison but presently he is at Domasi Prison. He avers that ever since his imprisonment, he and his fellow prisoners have been subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment which is an infringement of his rights which he believes to be non-derogable as per Section 44 of the Constitution."
by Dr. Msaiwale Chigawa. Concept Paper One, The Law Commission Constitutional Review Conference, March 2006.
This report by Wilfried Schärf, Chikosa Banda, Ricky Röntsch, Desmond Kaunda, and Rosemary Shapiro sought to inform Malawi Law Commission deliberations. "In rural areas the study found that customary justice forums handle some of the criminal cases as well as the vast majority of civil disputes occurring throughout the country. Proceedings are guided by locally-based customary rules. This despite the fact that since 1995 chiefs and traditional authorities have been stripped of their formal adjudicative powers by their exclusion from any formal judicial duties."
The people of Malawi, recognizing the sanctity of human life and the unity of all mankind; guided by their private consciences and collective wisdom; seeking to guarantee the welfare and development of all the people of Malawi, national harmony and peaceful international relations; desirous of creating a constitutional order in the Republic of Malawi based on the need for an open, democratic and accountable government: HEREBY adopt the following as the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi:
An Act to establish a Council of Legal Education and to provide for its functions and responsibilities; to establish criteria for the admission of persons to practise before the courts of Malawi as legal practitioners, and to provide for the professional discipline of legal practitioners; to establish the Malawi Law Society as a body corporate and to make provision for its objects and membership; to make comprehensive provision in relation to notaries public and for matters incidental thereto and connected therewith.
An Act to establish a Code of Criminal Law
