Striking Ministry of Justice lawyers say they are deliberating whether to proceed with their protest or return to work today and give dialogue a chance on their grievances.
The lawyers, who have been on strike since Tuesday this week, are demanding revision of their conditions of service, including increasing non-practising allowance since K500 000 to K1 million monthly, security allowance from K100 000 to K300 000 and telephone allowance from K50 000 to K100 000.
Further, the lawyers want government to provide housing allowance and a duty waiver on imported motor vehicles.
One of the State lawyers confirmed in an interview yesterday that there was a meeting on Wednesday between the lawyers and government representatives at the Ministry of Justice.
Said the source: “The lawyers are currently mulling over what to do next, whether to give room for discussions which the ministry is having with Department of Human Resource Management and Development [DHRMD] and Secretary to the Treasury.”
Ministry of Justice spokesperson Frank Namangale said in a separate interview yesterday that lawyers are expected to return to work immediately after management committed to respond to their concerns in writing.
Another lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that management yesterday issued an internal memo indicating that DHRMD requested Treasury approval to implement the first three demands.
On the impact of the sit-in, Namangale said it has contributed to the delayed delivery of justice and inconvenienced stakeholders, including courts.
Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda yesterday wrote the Judiciary advising that cases involving his office be rescheduled. The move was influenced by the sit-in that involves lawyers from the AG’s chambers and Malawi Legal Aid Bureau, among others.
In a memo dated June 6 2025 addressed to Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo and copied to Solicitor General, Attorney General and six others, the lawyers say they feel the ministry has failed to address their concerns despite several engagements.
The lawyers indicate that on February 14 2025, they petitioned the minister on the matter and that he promised to address their grievances with feedback on June 4 2025. However, he is yet to provide the said feedback.
In 2023, Ministry of Finance approved the review of conditions of service for government lawyers, which includes the upwards adjustment of non-practising allowance from K350 000 to K500 000 per month and the introduction of security allowance.
