Court throws out application against UTM registration

The High Court in Blantyre has thrown out lawyer Bob Chimkango’s application against the registration of UTM.

Private practise lawyer Chimkango requested a judicial review of the High Court order to register UTM as a political party.

Chimkango filed the application on behalf of United Transformation Party (UTP).

However, Judge Mike Tembo described the application as “frivolous, vexatious and hopeless”.

He said the judicial review was not legally appropriate adding that Chimkango should have asked to join as a party to the appeal that UTM filed after the party’s registration was rejected.

“The rule of procedure in this court allow a person affected by a proceeding to apply this court to be added as a party that proceedings,” said Tembo.

Last, Friday, the Registrar of Political Parties registered UTM as a political party.

The Registrar had earlier refused to register UTM, forcing the movement to go to court and on 2nd November, the High Court ordered the Registrar to register UTM within seven days.

Former Attorney General Charles Mhango appealed against the ruling on Tuesday last week but the High Court threw out the application and Mhango later resigned.

New AG Kalekeni Kaphale then asked the Supreme Court to suspend the registration of UTM. The application was on November 8 thrown out by Justice Kapindu of the Supreme Court of Appeal.