Chief Justice of England & Wales set for public lecture at University of Malawi

By Henry Mvula—Editor Emeritus ( Unima Students Law Society) 1 June 2023.  

SLS (Zomba)—Students from the School of Law, Economics and Governance at the University of Malawi (Unima), in the then colonial administrative city of Zomba, have all reasons to smile following the news that the Right Honorable The Lord Burnett of Maldon, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, will be visiting the law complex on Friday for interaction and later in the afternoon from 2:30 pm to a public lecture at Chikowi lecture theatre at the University campus.

The distinguished Professor of Law at the University, Garton Kamchedzera, himself who rubbed shoulders with Vice Chancellor Megarry and Kelvin Gray of ‘property in thin air’ during his academic exploits in the United Kingdom said it was a ‘privilege’ for Malawi and the University of Malawi in particular to host the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

Speaking during a Savjan moot court seminar at the law school boardroom on the eve of the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales visit, Professor Kamchedzera like the father that he is to his beloved law students, encouraged them to be at their best in according the respect and decorum in their speech mannerism, as they interact with the high profile visitor.  

The Right Honourable, The Lord Burnett of Maldon, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, will be accompanied by a panel of Judges from the High Court of Malawi and Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal empaneled by the country’s Chief Justice, Rezine Mzikamanda, who unfortunately is out of the country, in order to accord the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, his deserved respect. It is an all systems go as the Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala and The Director of the Legal Aid Bureau, Trouble Kalua will also be in the delegation accompanying the visitor to Zomba.

The public lecture, dubbed Matembo Nzunda public lecture, this one being public lecture number five, will be on the topic “Judicial Independence and Accountability in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Malawi is a purely common law jurisdiction, left to her by the then colonial master, England and she [England] remains the preferred destination where legal scholars in the country go to advance their studies. Professor Garton Kamchedzera, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi, Dr. Sunduzwayo Madise, the recently retired legendary lecturer of jurisprudence and constitutional law, Professor Edge Kanyongolo, his wife Professor Ngeyi Ruth Kanyongolo, the current Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Dr. Steven Kayuni, the former Attorney General of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Chikosa Silungwe and the list is too numerous to mention, were all minted in English Universities—the epicenter of the common law system.

According to the organizers, the public lecture will also be live on such platforms as Zoom whose links will be provided to members of the public interested to partake in this academic feast via chanco tv social media platforms.