{"id":19084,"date":"2021-05-06T12:55:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T12:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reprieve.org\/uk\/?p=19084"},"modified":"2025-04-03T15:44:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:44:27","slug":"malawi-just-abolished-the-death-penalty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reprieve.org\/uk\/2021\/05\/06\/malawi-just-abolished-the-death-penalty\/","title":{"rendered":"The road to abolition in Malawi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In April 2021, Malawi\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty is unconstitutional. The below was written at the time. Four months after the initial judgement was issued, a ‘perfected’ judgement was issued rolling back the groundbreaking original judgemen<\/em>t. Now, abolitionist efforts are focused on legislation to end the death penalty, to reflect the wishes of the majority of Malawi’s people and parliementarians.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The death penalty has been abolished entirely by Malawi’s Supreme Court. The Court also ruled that all those sentenced to the mandatory death penalty who been barred from resentencing must have a new sentencing hearing immediately. A life sentence is now the most severe sentence that can be given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This incredible ruling is the culmination of decades of work by human rights defenders who have been fighting for the abolition of the death penalty. It represents a return to key Malawian values and traditions rooted in reconciliation, rehabilitation and the possibility of reform. The client who brought the case, Charles Khoviwa, is a perfect demonstration of these values. Over decades in prison, Charles has taken steps to rehabilitate himself and has for years been a leader and an example of reform to his fellow inmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Charles Khoviwa, a Reprieve and Malawi Legal Aid Bureau client<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The landmark ruling was bolstered over the weekend when Malawi\u2019s President Lazarus Chakwera publicly announced his support for the historic judgement, in a statement celebrating the independence of the judiciary. The President can be proud that this is another significant achievement by a country that has consistently demonstrated leadership in the region on key human rights issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This win is the direct result of years of work on the Malawi Resentencing Project<\/em> by a coalition of stakeholders including the Malawi Human Rights Commission; the Legal Aid Bureau; the Centre for Human Rights, Education, Advice and Assistance; the Paralegal Advisory Services Institute; and the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide. With these partners and others, Reprieve investigators, lawyers, campaigners and supporters have laid the foundation needed to achieve last week\u2019s ruling.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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