The Judicature

All courts and all persons presiding over those courts shall exercise their functions, powers and duties independent of the influence and direction of any other person or authority.

The judiciary shall have jurisdiction over all issues of judicial nature and shall have exclusive authority to decide whether an issue is within its competence.

There shall be no courts established of superior or concurrent jurisdiction with the Supreme Court of Appeal or High Court.

There shall be a Supreme Court of Appeal for Malawi, which shall be a superior court of record and shall have such jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred on it by this Constitution or by any other law.

The Supreme Court of Appeal shall be the highest appellate court and shall have jurisdiction to hear appeals from the High Court and such other courts and tribunals as an Act of Parliament may prescribe.

The Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal shall be— (a) the Chief Justice; (b) the Deputy Chief Justice and such number of other Justices of Appeals not being less than three, as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament.

When the Supreme Court of Appeal is determining any matter, other than an interlocutory matter, it shall be composed of an uneven number of Justices of Appeal, not being less than three.

A Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal may only be appointed in accordance with section 111.

If, by reason of a vacancy of office, or by reason of the operation of section 107, there are less than three serving Justices of Appeal, then the President may, on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, appoint judges of the High Court, to serve as Acting Justices of Appeal.

An Acting Justice of Appeal shall hold that office only until such time as he or she is appointed Chief Justice or Justice of Appeal in accordance with section 111, but he or she shall cease to serve as a Justice of Appeal if— (a) there are more than three serving Justices of Appeal, either by reason of a vacancy or vacancies being filled in accordance with section 111 or where such Justices of Appeal or Acting Justices of Appeal as have been excused from serving on the Supreme Court are able to resume their duties in accordance with section 107; (b) he or she is excused from his or her duties as a Justice of Appeal or an Acting Justice of Appeal in accordance with section

107. —(1) A Justice of Appeal or Acting Justice of Appeal shall be excused from serving on the Supreme Court of Appeal only for such time as is reasonably necessary and only— (a) by reason of that Justice of Appeal or Acting Justice of Appeal having been a party to proceedings in a lower court, the decision of which is being appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal; or (b) for such other reason that the Chief Justice or Judicial Service Commission considers would prevent him or her from performing the duties of his or her office.

For the purposes of this section “a party to proceedings” shall include— (a) any person exercising a judicial function in those proceedings; (b) having been retained for the purposes of legally representing a party to the proceedings; or (c) being retained for the purposes of legal advice to party to the proceedings.

There shall be a High Court for the Republic which shall have unlimited original jurisdiction to hear and determine any civil or criminal proceedings under any law.

The High Court shall have original jurisdiction to review any law, and any action or decision of the Government, for conformity with this Constitution, save as otherwise provided by this Constitution and shall have such other jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred on it by this Constitution or any other law.

The Judges of the High Court shall be such number of judges, not being less than three, as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament.

There shall be such courts, subordinate to the High Court, as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament which shall be presided over by professional magistrates and lay magistrates.

There shall be an Industrial Relations Court, subordinate to the High Court, which shall have original jurisdiction over labour disputes and such other issues relating to employment and shall have such composition and procedure as may be specified in an Act of Parliament.

Parliament may make provision for traditional or local courts presided over by lay persons or chiefs: Provided that the jurisdiction of such courts shall be limited exclusively to civil cases at customary law and such minor common law and statutory offences as prescribed by an Act of Parliament.

Appeals from subordinate courts shall lie to the High Court, unless provided in this Constitution or by an Act of Parliament.

The Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the National Assembly by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting.

The Deputy Chief Justice and all other judges shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.

Magistrates and persons appointed to other judicial offices shall be appointed by the Chief Justice on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission and shall hold office until the age of seventy unless sooner removed by the Chief Justice on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.

For the purposes of this Chapter “judicial office” means the office of— (a) a Justice of Appeal or Acting Justice of Appeal; (b) a Judge of the High Court or Acting Judge of the High Court; (c) the Chief Registrar, Deputy Chief Registrar, Registrar or Assistant Registrar; (d) a magistrate of whatever grade; (e) the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of the Industrial Relations Court; and (f) a person presiding over a traditional or local court.

A person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of a Judge shall not be required, on being so appointed, to serve in an acting capacity.

For the purposes of this Chapter “judge” shall mean the Chief Justice, a Justice of Appeal, an Acting Justice of Appeal, a Judge of the High Court or an Acting Judge of the High Court.

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a judge unless that person— (a) is fit and proper to exercise the functions of the office of judge; (b) has, before the appointment, not been convicted, by a competent court, of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment without the option of a fine: and (c) is, or has been, a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in criminal or civil proceedings; or (d) in the case of— (i) a Judge of the High Court, is entitled to practise as a legal practitioner or an advocate or a solicitor in such a court and has been entitled so to practise for not less than ten years; and (ii) a Justice of Appeal, has been a Judge of the High Court for not less than ten years or is entitled to practise as a legal practitioner or an advocate or a solicitor in a court having unlimited jurisdiction and has been entitled so to practise for not less than twenty years.

For the purposes of this section, a person shall be regarded as entitled to practise as a legal practitioner or an advocate or a solicitor if that person has been called, enrolled or otherwise admitted as such and has not been subsequently disbarred or removed from the roll of legal practitioners or advocates or solicitors notwithstanding that the person— (a) holds or acts in any office the holder of which is, by reason of his or her office, precluded from practising in court; or (b) does not hold a practising certificate and has not satisfied any other like condition of his or her being permitted to practise.

If the office of Chief Justice is vacant, or if the Chief Justice for any reason will not perform the functions of his or her office, then, until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office, or until the person holding that office has resumed those functions, as the case may be, those functions shall be performed by the Deputy Chief Justice, and if the office of the Deputy Chief Justice is vacant or if the Deputy Chief Justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, those functions shall be performed by the most senior judge then sitting on the Supreme Court of Appeal, or in the event that a Supreme Court judge is not available, then, by the most senior judge sitting on the High Court, appointed by the President after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission.

If any judicial office is vacant or if any judge is appointed to act as Chief Justice, or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, the President, on the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission, may appoint a person qualified for appointment to that judicial office under this section to act in that office.

The Chief Justice and all other holders of judicial office shall receive a salary and other employment benefits for their services and, on retirement, such pension, gratuity or other allowance as may, from time to time, be determined by the National Assembly.

The salary, any allowance and other employment benefits of a holder of judicial office shall not without his or her consent be reduced during his or her period of office and shall be increased at intervals so as to retain its original value and shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Fund.

A person holding judicial office shall not enter upon the duties of his or her office unless that officer has taken and subscribed the oath of allegiance for the due execution of his or her office in such manner and form as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament.

There shall be a Judicial Service of public officers which shall comprise holders of judicial office and such other administrative, technical and support staff, as are necessary to facilitate the operations of the Judiciary.

Persons employed in the Judicial Service shall exercise their powers and perform their functions and duties independent of the direction or interference of any other person or authority outside the Judicial Service.

Subsection (2) shall not limit or preclude provision of administrative, professional, technical or other support services to the Judiciary or to a holder of a judicial office by any other Government institution or agency.

There shall be a Judicial Service Commission which shall be the body responsible for the regulation and overall management of the Judicial Service and shall have the powers and functions as are conferred upon it by this Constitution and an Act of Parliament.

In the exercise of its powers and functions, the Judicial Service Commission shall be independent of the interference or direction of any other person or authority.

The Judicial Service Commission shall consist of— (a) the Chief Justice, who shall be the Chairman; (b) the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission; (c) the Solicitor General; (d) a Justice of Appeal, appointed by the President after consulting the Chief Justice; (e) a Judge of the High Court, appointed by the President after consulting the Chief Justice; (f) a Senior Resident Magistrate, appointed by the President after consulting the Chief Justice; (g) a member of staff of the Judicial Service, other than a judicial officer, appointed by the President after consulting the Chief Justice; (h) a Senior Counsel, appointed by the President after consulting the Malawi Law Society; (i) a law lecturer from an accredited school of law in Malawi, appointed by the President after consulting the Malawi Council of Legal Education; and (j) two lay Malawians of good standing, one male and one female, nominated by the Human Rights Commission and appointed by the President.

A member of the Judicial Service Commission appointed under section 117(d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j) shall hold office for a term of four years and may be eligible for re-appointment for one further term.

The office of a member of the Judicial Service Commission appointed under section 117(d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j) shall become vacant— (a) at the expiry of the member’s term of office; (b) if any circumstances arise that, if that person were not a member of the Judicial Service Commission, would cause that person to be disqualified from appointment as such; (c) if the member dies; (d) if the member resigns; or (e) on removal by the President.

The President may remove from office, a member of the Judicial Service Commission appointed under section 117 (1) (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j), on any of the following grounds— (a) misconduct that brings the Judicial Service Commission into disrepute; (b) incompetence in the execution of the functions of the office of member of the Judicial Service Commission; (c) failure to declare a conflict of interest relating to any matter under consideration by the Judicial Service Commission; (d) disclosure or publication to any other person or entity, other than in the course of duty, of any confidential information of the Judicial Service Commission, obtained in the course of duty or otherwise; or (e) being compromised to the extent that his or her ability to exercise the duties of the office of member of the Judicial Service Commission impartially and effectively is seriously in question.

The Judicial Service Commission shall have the authority to— (a) nominate persons for judicial office; (b) exercise such disciplinary powers in relation to persons in judicial office as shall be prescribed by an Act of Parliament, subject to this Constitution; (c) recommend, subject to section 119, the removal of a person from judicial office; (d) subject to this Constitution, make such representations to the President as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament; and (e) exercise such other powers as are conferred on it by this Constitution or as are reasonably necessary for the performance of its duties: Provided that nothing in this section shall prejudice the right of any person in judicial office who was the subject of any decision by the Judicial Service Commission to appeal to the High Court against that decision.

Subject to this section, a person holding the office of Judge shall vacate that office on attaining the age prescribed in subsection (6): Provided that the President, after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, may permit a Judge who has attained that age to continue in office for such period as may be necessary to enable him or her to deliver judgment or to do any other thing in relation to proceedings that were commenced before him or her before he or she attained that age.

A person holding the office of Judge may be removed from office only for incompetence in the performance of the duties of his or her office or for misconduct or for inability to perform the functions of the office, whether arising from infirmity of body or mind, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with subsections (3) and (4).

The President may by an instrument under the Public Seal and in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission remove from office any Judge where a motion praying for his or her removal on the ground of incompetence in the performance of the duties of his or her office or misbehaviour has been— (a) debated in the National Assembly; (b) passed by a majority of the votes of all the members of the Assembly; and (c) submitted to the President as a petition for the removal of the judge concerned: Provided that the procedure for the removal of a judge shall be in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

Where notice of intention to introduce before the National Assembly a motion praying for the removal of a Judge from his or her office has been lodged in the office of the Speaker, the President may, where after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission he or she is satisfied that it is in the public interest so to do, suspend the Judge from performing the duties of his or her office.

The suspension of a Judge under subsection (4) may at any time be revoked by the President, after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, and shall in any case cease to have effect where the motion is withdrawn before being debated in the National Assembly or, upon being debated, is not passed by a majority thereof.

The prescribed age for purposes of subsection (1) shall be the age of sixty-five years or such other age as may be prescribed by Parliament: Provided that a law made by Parliament, to the extent that it alters the age at which a Judge shall vacate his or her office, shall not have effect in relation to a Judge after his or her appointment unless he or she consents to its having effect.

Where the President considers it desirable in the public interest so to do, he or she may, with the consent of the person concerned, assign a person holding the office of Judge to any other office in the public service for such period as the President may determine during which that person may cease to perform the duties of his or her office as Judge; but so, however, that— (a) such assignment shall not be regarded as removal of that person under subsection (2) from his or her office as Judge; (b) the resumption by that person of the duties of his or her office as Judge shall not require formal re-appointment; (c) the retirement age of that person shall be that prescribed for Judges under subsection (1).