MALAWI GOVERNMENT DELAYS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION BILL

September 8, 2024:

The Malawi Ministry of Justice has delayed tabling the bill on the abolition of the death penalty, despite last year’s commitment to present it in parliament this year, Channel Africa reported on August 22, 2024.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has now expressed concern over the country’s slow progress toward abolishing the death penalty, despite a de facto moratorium since 1994.   
Commission voiced this concern through a press statement, saying it is surprising that this is happening when 94% of respondents in public hearings conducted by the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee in 2022 supported the abolition of capital punishment in Malawi.
According to Justice Ministry, they are a bit surprised by the commission’s concern because they have so far given positive statements about abolition of death penalty.  
“Malawi basically stopped implementing the death penalty through a moratorium, and since then, all those that were sentenced to death have been put on life imprisonment. So, we have been making the strides,” said the Malawi Ministry of Justice.