The juridical system continues to hog the limelight with professor of law at University of Malawi (Unima) Garton Kamchedzera interrogating integrity of leaders in the legal profession on ethical issues.
The legal scholar was presenting a paper titled, ‘Integrity and False Autonomy in the Disciplining of Lawyers in Malawi’, last Friday during the Malawi Law Society (MLS) annual general meeting (AGM) in Mangochi.
He stated that leaders in the profession include the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the president of the society.
“These are key leaders and they must work with integrity,” stated Kamchedzera, a researcher and lecturer in law at Unima’s School of Economics, Law and Government.
He added: “If you go back, maybe ethical issues started to grow in this jurisdiction when people who do not deserve to be in these offices, people we knew had no integrity between them started getting there.”
The scholar further said there were some “immoral people, with no integrity” in their lives and households still fighting to get the positions.
“The judges who are doing this [misconduct] are not the leaders… I am yet to see something that the Chief Justice has said of them.
“So it seems these few judges do not really have a leader and we know that leadership is important in the juridicial field. The gatekeeping into the profession needs to be strengthened,” he said
He also heaped praises on few judges such as Dorothy Nyakaunda Kamanga and Thomson Ligowe who he indicated always do something on issues they believe are unethical.
In her keynote address during the AGM, Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) president Bertha Bangara Chikadza called upon the legal fraternity to reaffirm its commitment to professionalism, integrity, and impartiality to ensure the country’s democracy remains strong, stable, and just.
Bangara Chikadza said an independent Judiciary commands integrity, trust, respect and also takes responsibility for its actions and decisions and becomes reliable while delivering work on time and to expected standards.
She said as the country grapples with various macroeconomic issues such as foreign exchange shortages and debt challenges, the legal profession must always lead with integrity.
Governance commentator Charles Kajoloweka in an interview said Kamchedzera’s reflection was critical, coming at a time public trust and confidence in the legal profession is dwindling.
He noted that the legal profession is undergoing public scrutiny and it was very clear that the status quo was not sustainable.
In his farewell remarks, MLS immediate past president Patrick Mpaka said some members of society have on some occasions appeared to publicly squabble on legal issues in ways that have left the public wondering how the legal profession is regulated in the public space.
“We will all come out more bruised than we went into the noble profession and the country will not be able to uphold the rule of law,” said Mpaka, who stepped down after serving the society for four years.
The AGM, which brought together over 500 delegates from the legal profession and leaders of other professions with varied expertise, was conducted under the theme, ‘Maintaining Professionalism in Times of Social Political Divergence and Constant Public Criticism.’
