Law expert warns Malawi Law Society losing its relevance, ‘captured’

A highly respected professor of law at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malaw, Garton Kamchedzera has warned Malawi Law Society (MLS) of losing its relevance and dependability as a profession body of lawyers.

 Kamchedzera says this amid concerns in various social media platforms that MLS is now perceived to be serving the interests of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Writing in his Facebook wall, the law professor  hits at MLS over its letter entitled ‘Management of electoral complaints and the determination of electoral results concerning Malawi presidential elections of 21 May, 2019.

“If indeed the society has written the letter…I am still in agony. It is agony for me to read the society’s letter to six financial and business offices requesting their ‘preliminary and urgent expert evaluation on the short and/long term economic and financial implications to the nation of the political impasse that has gripped the Republic of Malawi following the presidential elections of 21 May, 2019,” says Kamchezera.

MLS says it wants this for what it says develop further strategies and proposals for managing the situation in accordance with the law as it seeks to protect the people of Malawi as a whole.

In its earlier statements, MLS said it wants to prosecute organisers of the anti-Jane Ansah demonstrations.

“Really? The letter is dated 30 July 2019. The deadline for the six offices to provide such information is 1August 2019.

“I shudder to witness the Malawi Law Society losing relevance and dependability as a professional body of lawyers,” says Kamchedzera.

This comes at a time MLS president Burton Mhango has come under intense condemnation for driving the professional lawyers’ body to advance the ruling DPP agenda.

Mhango is young brother to the DPP director of Legal Affairs, Charles Mhango.