George Kaliwo readmitted to the bar
Eighteen years after he stopped practicing, private practice lawyer George Kaliwo has been readmitted to the bar.
In his ruling on April 27 this year, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda noted that there were no sufficient grounds for denying the renewal of Kaliwo’s licence as requested by his lawyer Dick Chagwamnjira.
According to the ruling, Kaliwo fell out with his landlord in 1998 on account of non-payment of rent for the building where the practice was operated from.
Reads the ruling: “The landlord sealed off the building in the course of efforts to recover the outstanding rent and, in the process, the applicant lost his tools of trade and other material necessary for him to continue his practice
In his explanation, the applicant lost all his push and eventually gave up all his efforts to bounce back to practice.”
The Chief Justice said the applicant merely went out of practice on account of total disruption of his affairs and there was no disciplinary issue around him.
Nyirenda noted that since there was no disciplinary matter against Kaliwo, his application should be accepted to allow him a new lease of professional life.
However, as per Malawi Law Society’s (MLS) request, Nyirenda ruled that Kaliwo should practice under an established senior legal practitioner.
“Fortunately, counsel Chagwamnjira, the sponsor, has already come forward and offered to take the applicant along in the initial period to practice,” he said.
And in an interview yesterday, Kaliwo, who is currently a lecturer at the Polytechnic, said he is delighted to be readmitted to the bar.
“And I am grateful for the law society and the Attorney General for the admission except for the provision that I have to be reoriented. But on second thoughts, it is a fair request considering that there may be some procedural developments that have taken place while I was out of practice. But overall, I am absolutely delighted,” he said.
