Nyirenda acting chief justice – Malawi Judiciary

Malawi Supreme Court Judge, Andrew Nyirenda SC,  is now acting chief justice and head of the judiciary following the retirement of Justice Anastansia Msosa, 65.

Msosa, a lady of memoir, was the first woman to be appointed judge of the High Court of Malawi and to be a member of the Supreme Court. She was appointed in 2012 by first Malawi female president Joyce Banda.

In an internal memo to the Judiciary heads by Registrar of the High Court, Joseph Chigona, Justice Nyirenda will be acting the position until President Peter Mutharika appoints a Chief Justice .

In line with the dictates of Section 113 of the constitution, the Honourable Justice Andrew Nyirenda SC, being the most senior sitting Justice, shall perform the functions of Chief Justice until such a time as it pleases His Excellency the State President to appoint a Chief Justice,” a memo by Chigona dated March 2, 2015 reads in part.

Chief Secretary to the Government George Mkondiwa said government is working on the succession process at the Judiciary.

Section 111 (1) of the Constitution says the Chief Justice shall be appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly.

Justice Nyirenda is one of the respected judges Malawi has produced with unimpeachable integrity record .

He chaired the Commission of Inquiry of Malawi Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa who was murdered by regime agents during the DPP-led government.

Chasowa, who studied engineering, was found dead at the college campus in Blantyre on September 24, 2011.

Findings from the Commission named Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Director of Special Events Noel Masangwi   who is now a member of Parliament and Director of Youths Lewis Ngalande as some of prime suspects in the death of the student.

The report also implicated several senior police officers including Rodney Jose the deputy police chief, police officer Stanford Horea and renowned boxing promoter Mike Chitenje.

Police said he had jumped to his death from a five-story building and produced bogus suicide not as evidence.

Jutsice Nyirenda said: “The ultimate findings of the commission is that Robert Chasowa was murdered.”

He said the findings were based on entire testimony of witnesses, which he said “in some instances were lucid and unmistaken.”

Nyirenda said a post-mortem examination report enabled the commission, which included a pathologist, “to determine, with a degree of certainty, the cause and circumstances of Robert Chasowa’s death.”

Justice on Chasowa has been delayed and utterly is being denied.

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