COURTS

CHAPTER 3:02
COURTS

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
GENERAL

    3.    Process of courts

    4.    Legal practitioners

PART III
HIGH COURT
General

    5.    Constitution of High Court

    5A.    Judges to have powers of subordinate courts

    5B.    Retirement age for Judges

    6.    Senior Judge of the High Court

    6A.    Establishment of divisions of court

    7.    Registrars

    7A.    Establishment of District Registries and appointment of District Registrars

    7B.    Seals of District Registries

    7C.    Powers, functions and duties of District Registrars

    7D.    Transfer of proceedings

    7E.    Rules to Regulate practice and procedure in District Registries

    7F.    Directions by the Chief Justice as to duties and functions of District Registries

    8.    Powers and duties of Registrar

    9.    Proceedings of High Court to be disposed of by single Judge

    9A.    Judgement of the High Court

    9B.    Delivery of judgements

    10.    Vacations

    11.    Additional jurisdiction

    12.    Procedure in perjury

Arrest and Attachment before Judgment

    13.    Arrest before judgment

    14.    Attachment before judgment

    15.    Imprisonment for debt

    16.    Committal of judgment debtors

    17.    Saving of provisions relating to examination of judgment debtors

Appellate Jurisdiction of the High Court

    18.    Appellate criminal jurisdiction

    19.    Appellate civil jurisdiction

Civil Appeals from Subordinate Courts

    20.    Civil appeals from subordinate courts to the High Court

    21.    Reservation of points of law

    22.    Power of High Court in civil appeals

    23.    Appeal not to operate as stay of execution

    24.    Subordinate court shall conform to order of High Court

Revision by High Court of Proceedings of Subordinate Courts

    25.    Revision in criminal proceedings

    26.    General supervisory powers of High Court

    27.    No revision where appeal lies

    28.    No right of party to be heard on revision

Practice and Procedure

    29.    Practice and procedure of the High Court

Costs and Fees

    30.    Costs to be in the discretion of the High Court

    31.    Costs when proceedings could have been commenced in subordinate court

    32.    Fees

PART IV
SUBORDINATE COURTS
General

    33.    Establishment of courts of magistrates

    34.    Constitution of courts of magistrates

    35.    A court of a magistrate to have jurisdiction throughout Malawi

    36.    Places and times of sittings of subordinate courts

    37.    Records to be kept

    38.    Seals

Civil Jurisdiction of Courts of Magistrates

    39.    Civil jurisdiction of courts of magistrates

    39A.    Personal injury claims

    40.    Counterclaims in subordinate courts

    41.    Relinquishing part of claim

    42.    Claims not to be split

    43.    Jurisdiction to grant relief by way of interpleader

    44.    Res judicata

    45.    Stay of proceedings

    46.    Transfer of proceedings

    47.    Set-off

    48.    Discovery

    49.    Process to compel appearance

    50.    Arrest

    51.    Attachment of property

    52.    Sections 50 and 51 not to be construed as conferring jurisdiction under section 16

    53.    Variation and suspension of judgments

    54.    Contempt of court

    55.    Setting aside judgments

    56.    Attachment of debt

Execution

    57.    Suspension of execution

Criminal Jurisdiction of Courts of Magistrates

    58.    Criminal Jurisdiction of courts of magistrates

Procedure

    59.    Rules of Court regulating practice and procedure in subordinate courts

PART V
MISCELLANEOUS

    60.    Proceedings to be in open court

    60A.    Representation of parties

    61.    Protection of judicial officers

    62.    Expenses of witnesses

    63.    Notice to bring persons from prison

    64.    Proof of customary law

    65.    Interest on judgments

    66.    Execution of warrants

    67.    Rules of Court

    68.    Saving of rights of Government

    69.    Savings

    70.    Saving of offices

        FIRST SCHEDULE

        SECOND SCHEDULE

G.N. 97/1960
22/1963
41/1963
219/1964 (N)
316/1965
137/1966
263/1969
35/2011

1 of 1958
8 of 1963
21 of 1967
38 of 1967
45 of 1967
47 of 1967
25 of 1968
19 of 1975
13 of 1980
7 of 1984
18 of 1984
9 of 1986
19 of 1987
19 of 1992
19 of 1995
4 of 2000
2 of 2004
7 of 2010
23 of 2016
36 of 2022

    An Act to consolidate the law relating to the High Court and certain courts subordinate thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Courts Act.

2 of 2004

23 of 2016

36 of 2022

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

23 of 2016

    “civil matter” means a civil matter that is not a commercial, criminal, family or probate matter;

23 of 2016

    “commercial matter” means a civil matter of commercial significance arising out of or connected with…