Malawi’s judiciary has been rocked by death threats against law officers and arson attacks on court buildings, APA learns here on Wednesday.
The Magistrates and Judges Association of Malawi (MAJAM) said some unnamed magistrates had received threats from an individual identifying himself as Ben Longwe.
Longwe is said to have threatened to attack the judicial officers by torching their homes, vehicles and court buildings.
“This is coming a few days after a discussion of a similar nature that took place on a social media platform, with particular reference to a magistrate based in Blantyre,” MAJAM said in a statement.
It added: “It is clear that these threats are a reaction to the judicial decisions delivered recently.”
The association warned that the threats amount to inciting violence against judicial officers andthe judiciary as a whole “as it is criminal and unacceptable in a constitutional democracy such as Malawi.”
“Such attacks and threats infringe and seriously undermine the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.”
It called on individuals unhappy with court decisions to seek redress through proper channels
“In this regard, MAJAM urges any party dissatisfied with an order to either apply for review or appeal to the High Court if the matter was being handled by a subordinate court or to the Supreme Court of Appeal if the matter was being handled by the High Court.”
JN/APA