43 REMANDEES GRANTED BAIL THROUGH COURTS

 

Courts recently conducted in Blantyre, Chikwawa and Nsanje with High Court Judge Justice Kamowa have resulted in 43 people being granted bail.

The 43 individuals had been on remand on suspicion of having committed homicide-related offences. Some had remained in custody for more than two years without their cases progressing to the High Court.

Among those granted bail was Frank Njanji from Nsanje, who had been on remand since March 2024. During this period, his case had not been committed to the High Court, and he had not been brought before the Court to apply for bail or have his case formally commence.

Njanji was accused of causing the death of a man following an altercation at a drinking joint. According to the information presented to the Court, the two men became involved in a dispute after one of them allegedly became upset over spilt beer. During the ensuing altercation, the man later died.

Following his arrest, Njanji's case remained before the Magistrate's Court and was not committed to the High Court. As a result, he was unable to apply for bail because the Magistrate's Court did not have jurisdiction to try the matter.

“If it wasn’t for this Camp Court, I was not sure when my case would be handled because I didn’t have a lawyer and I had no idea when I would appear before the Court,” said Njanji.

During the Camp Court proceedings, Principal Legal Aid Advocate Doreen Kawisa applied for the committal of Njanji's case to the High Court and subsequently applied for bail on his behalf. Justice Kamowa granted the application.

The Camp Court proceedings revealed that many of the cases involved individuals who had spent extended periods on remand without being brought before the High Court or having their matters progress through the justice system.

Principal Legal Aid Advocates Tiwonge Penama, and Patricia Chimbalame, Senior Legal Aid Advocates Marion Gondwe, Chipiliro Mafuta and the late Ishmael Masiyano, Legal Aid Officer Effort Kusakala, and Senior Clerical Officer Julius Salim joined Kawisa in making the Camp Court sessions a success.

-Malawi Legal Aid Bureau-

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