A cross-section of the attendees
Lawyers in the northern region of the country have been challenged to take on more pro bono cases to assist thousands of Malawians who appear in court without legal representation. This has been echoed by the Judge-in-Charge of the Mzuzu High Court Criminal Division, Justice Justus Kishindo. He made the remarks on Friday, June 13th 2025, during a workshop for lawyers in Mzuzu focusing on the importance of supporting legal aid services through the Pro Bono Scheme.
In his address, Justice Kishindo reminded the legal practitioners that it is mandatory under section 42 of the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act for all legal practitioners, except legal practitioners employed in the public service, to perform pro bono work annually.
Justice Kishindo further pointed out that pro bono work could help to reduce congestion in prisons and speed up certain criminal trials, like those for murder and manslaughter, which can take years to conclude.
“Legal representation not only serves the interests of the accused person. It also enriches the processes that take place throughout a criminal trial. Through lawyers’ well-researched submissions on the law, a trial Court can make an informed and properly crafted decision,” he added.
According to Justice Kishindo, pro bono lawyers come in handy to promote and protect the Court’s independence and impartiality by taking over the role of advising the accused person about his or her rights.
On his part, the Acting Director of the Malawi Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), Chimwemwe Chithope-Mwale, emphasized the importance of private legal practitioners taking up pro bono files, as the work at LAB is too much for the few currently available lawyers.
As private lawyers collect files from LAB to complete their annual 24 hours of pro bono work, they assist Malawians who would have otherwise waited for a long time to have their cases completed by LAB lawyers. Files for such are collected from LAB’s regional offices, and their hours are certified as soon as they are clocked.
Other presenters at the training workshop were the Assistant Director for LAB in the north, Newton Mdazizira, Malawi Law Society (MLS) Chief Executive Officer Chrispin Ngunde, and Maele Law Practice Managing Partner, Fostino Maele.
Similar events have since taken place in Blantyre and Lilongwe, as the recent one targeted a maximum of 35 northern region-based legal practitioners who gained one CPD unit through their attendance. The MLS played a huge role in the organization of the event alongside LAB, with financial support from the Irish Rule of Law International.
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