Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) plans to undertake a public inquiry into access to justice and judicial accountability.
MHRC Chairperson, Chikondi Chijozi, said they noted calls for accountability of the judiciary, an arm of the government that has the responsibility of interpreting, protecting and enforcing the Constitution of Malawi and all laws in an independent and impartial manner.
She said the public inquiry will focus on challenges in accessing justice, the current costs of accessing justice and securing legal representation, the impact of these costs on access to, and quality of justice.
Furthermore, there shall be an assessment of judicial accountability, integrity and competency and the need for any changes in the laws, policies, and practices in addressing issues related to access to justice.