Minister of Justice, Honourable Titus Mvalo, SC, addressed the participants at the Criminal Justice Reform System Conference in Lilongwe with profound insight. He emphasized that as the nation contemplates the criminal justice system and explores avenues for its enhancement, it is crucial to reflect on our past and envision our future.
“It is imperative that we, as a people, pause and introspectively assess our current standing. Only through such reflection can we enact meaningful changes and improvements,” he articulated.
He lauded the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mr. Masauko Chamkakala for orchestrating this significant gathering. “I commend the DPP for bringing us together,” Mvalo remarked at the two-day conference themed ‘Pre-trial Custody Time Limits and the State of the Criminal Justice System in Malawi.’
The conference, inaugurated today at the Bingu International Convention Centre, is a collaborative effort between the DPP and Irish Rule of Law International, with funding from the European Union. It has convened participants from the Judiciary, led by Chief Justice His Lordship Rizine Mzikamanda, the Ministry of Justice, Malawi Police Service, Legal Aid Bureau, civil society, the academia, among others.
Mvalo expressed his joy in delivering the opening remarks, stating, "My delight in delivering these opening remarks is threefold. Firstly, it pleases me that this conference, the first of its kind, sees the DPP’s office working alongside key stakeholders to seek solutions for reforming our criminal justice system.
“Secondly, the timing of this conference, three years after the launch of the MW2063 First 10 Year Implementation Plan (MIP-1), demonstrates the commitment of governance institutions to collaborate in achieving our national goals under Enabler 2, which aims for effective governance systems and institutions with strict adherence to the rule of law.”
The Chief Justice, the special guest of honour, underscored the pertinence of the issues set to be discussed at the conference.
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