CJ backs legal aid devolution calls
Residents of Khonsolo in Mzimba have asked government to deploy legal aid lawyers in all districts to improve accessibility of justice to the rural poor, a call backed by Chief Justice Anastasia Msosa.
The people in the hard-to-reach Mzimba South East locality made the call Thursday when Msosa officially opened a court constructed by Khonsolo Women Forum (KWF) with funding from ActionAid.
KWF chairperson Margret Nyirenda expects Khonsolo Magistrates Court to help alleviate spates of cases, especially gender-based violence, which compelled most women in the hilly terrain to suffer in silence as they had to walk about 40 kilometres or pay an extra K1 000 to access justice at Emfeni Magistrates Court.
While asking for construction of staff houses and a police unit in the area, Traditional Authority (T/A) Khonsolo said: “With the court in place, we want government to decentralise the Department of Legal Aid to improve accessibility of free lawyers to rural poor Malawians. It is a pity that some victims of gender-based violence lose cases not due to lack of evidence, but lack of skills and knowledge to articulate issues the way lawyers do.”
In an interview, Msosa pledged to deploy one of the 58 newly sworn in magistrates at Khonsolo, but also asked community members to identify a suitable house for the long-awaited judicial worker and support staff.
On bringing State-sponsored lawyers closer to people in need, Msosa said: “Lack of legal aid is worrisome because some of the accused and prosecution are not able to articulate issues in court on their own.
“Accessibility of legal representation to people who cannot afford private lawyers has been a requirement since I was a young lawyer working with the Legal Aid Department and it has always been my wish to see the gap closed. Despite shortage of lawyers, the Ministry of Justice is making strides in decentralising legal aid.”
According to ActionAid country director, Martha Khonje, the international non-profit organisation supported construction of the court and spent K10 million.
She said ActionAid was involved in its quest to see a world without poverty and inequalities where the poor, marginalised and vulnerable people—especially women and girls—have access to opportunities and justice.
