Another Arrow in the Quiver? The Prospects and Challenges of Combating Corruption through a Specialised Court in Malawi

Mwiza Nkhata; Martin Chipofya

doi:10.25159/2522-3062/15516

Authors

Mwiza Nkhata University of South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7695-5503
Martin Chipofya Malawi Judiciary https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3220-8913

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-3062/15516

Keywords:

Malawi, corruption, specialised courts, financial crimes, prospects and challenges

Abstract

In 2022, an amendment to Malawi’s Courts Act created the Financial Crimes Division (FCD) of the High Court. This is a ‘specialised court’ meant to deal with any ‘financial crime matter.’ While the FCD has jurisdiction to deal with ‘financial crimes,’ it seems that one of the key motivations for its establishment was the creation of an avenue for expedited disposal of corruption-related cases. Through a doctrinal analysis with a comparative approach, this article examines the prospects of the FCD, particularly in the fight against corruption while advancing some recommendations for dealing with some of the possible challenges.

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