Chakwera (4th from L), Deputy SPC (3rd from L) and Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda (5th from L) with Supreme Court Judges
The Tonse Alliance administration plans to amend the Courts Act to increase the retirement age of judges in Malawi from 65 to 70.
The Lazarus Chakwera administration wants to table the Courts Act Amendment Bill in Parliament which will increase the retirement age of judges
Speaking to the local media, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda said a judge requires wisdom which comes with age hence the decision to increase the retirement age.
The bill also seeks to create a special financial crimes court and scrape off 4th grade magistrate courts.
Meanwhile, University of Cape Town Law Professor Danwood Chirwa has argued in a Facebook post that increasing judges’ retirement age would be irresponsible since there are some corrupt judges in the Malawi Judiciary.
“We have many corrupt judges in the Judiciary. Retirement is the only way of getting them out of the system,” he wrote.
Chirwa added that the disciplinary process is non-existent in the Judiciary or has never been used. He suggested reducing the retirement age so that the Judiciary should be cleaned of corrupt judges.
“If the proposed bill passes it would be one of the most irresponsible things this government will have done. Unless of course a parallel bill was introduced at the same time to reform the removal process of judges,” he said.
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