MLS talks tough on lawyers’ conduct
Malawi Law Society (MLS) newly elected president Burton Mhango has said incidences of lawyers’ misconduct will lessen following the coming into effect of the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act (Lelpa).
In an interview in Mangochi yesterday, after his election at the end of the society’s annual conference and general meeting, Mhango said the laws were clear on issues of discipline and his committee will sit down and see how best to handle the matter.
“Our mandate as MLS is to regulate the profession and we will look at issues of misconduct and see how best we can improve in terms of disciplining our members wherever they have gone wrong,” he said.
Mhango observed that just like any other profession the legal industry could not claim to be clean “but as people we have to put our foot on the ground and ensure that our profession is clean.”
But Mhango said it was not the intention of the society to shield its members on such cases, saying “we don’t protect them but rather discipline them.”
Over the past two years, the society has received 217 cases against its members bordering on overcharging clients, non remittance of funds and professional negligence, among others.
According to the outgoing president Alfred Majamanda, under the new Lelpa the powers of the disciplinary committee have been significantly enhanced in that the committee may suspend a lawyer for a period not exceeding two years.
During the elections, Mhango who has replaced Alfred Majamanda, beat Tadala Chikwenzule who served as vice-president in the last committee by 148 votes against 128 while Patrick Mpaka was elected vice-president after he amassed 186 votes against Felista Dossi’s 71.
The lawyers maintained their confidence in Martha Kaukonde by giving her another term as honorary secretary.
Youthful practitioner Chrispin Chimwemwe Ngunde was unanimously given the responsibility of caring for the society’s purse after he floored James Kaphale by a whopping 189 vote against 29.
The lawyers also elected Robert Nthewa, Edwin Mtonga and Vitumbiko Gubuduza as committee members. They will be joined by Mwai Msungama, Madalitso Kausi and Wesley Mwafulirwa who were elected as regional representatives for the South, Centre and North respectively. n
