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Nthalire communities decry lack of magistrate

 

People of Nthalire in Chitipa say the absence of a magistrate is crippling access to justice in the area.

On Monday, Nthalire Police Unit officer in-charge Lester Chananga said there are many outstanding criminal cases which need to go to court but the office does not have the resources to transport suspects to the Boma, about 115 kilometres away.

Patemba: A magistrate has been identified

He said the unit is sometimes forced to grant bail to suspects who do not deserve it due to the 48-hour rule.

“We have suspects who have been on remand for a long time, but there is nothing we can do, It is quite expensive to transport them to Chitipa,” said Chananga.

“Sometimes we communicate to the magistrate in Chitipa and we are helped but we still have a problem with Nthalire.”

Nthalire Women Forum chairperson Tereza Mkandawire said the situation has led to a rise in a number of pending gender-based violence (GBV) cases.

“The situation is worrisome. We register about 15 GBV cases every month. We appeal to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to act with urgency,”she said.

In her remarks, registrar of the High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal Agness Patemba said a magistrate has been identified and will report for duties soon.

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