LOCAL COURTS

CHAPTER 3:03
LOCAL COURTS

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

    3.    Substantial justice to be done without undue regard to technicalities

PART II
ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF LOCAL COURTS

    4.    Establishment of Local Courts

    5.    Composition of Local Courts

    6.    Qualification of Chairperson

    7.    Assessors

    8.    Functions and duties of assessors

    9.    General Jurisdiction

    10.    Places and times of sittings of Local Courts

    11.    Laws to be administered

    12.    Court staff

    13.    Records to be kept

    14.    Seals

PART III
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

    15.    Practice and Procedure

    16.    Language of Court

    17.    General supervisory powers of District Appeals Local Courts

PART IV
CIVIL JURISDICTION

    18.    Civil jurisdiction of Local Courts

    19.    Awards in cases of a civil nature

    20.    Enforcement of awards

    21.    Offences relating to execution of sale orders and transfer orders

PART V
CRIMINAL JURISDICTION

    22.    Criminal jurisdiction of Local Courts

    23.    Orders in cases of a criminal nature

    24.    Power to release and caution by Local Courts

    25.    Promotion of reconciliation

    26.    Suspension of sentence

    27.    Sentences which a Local Court may pass

    28.    Committal of case to a magistrate court for sentencing

    29.    Compensation to injured or aggrieved person

    30.    Compensation not to preclude civil suit

    31.    Willful refusal to pay compensation

    32.    Places of imprisonment

PART VI
GENERAL POWERS OF LOCAL COURTS

    33.    Power to summon witnesses

    34.    Power to summon witnesses outside area of jurisdiction

    35.    Power to transfer case to another Local Court before inquiry or trial, etc

    36.    Power to transfer case to a magistrate court and proceedings on transfer

    37.    Power of remand in criminal cases

    38.    Execution of orders of High Court, subordinate Courts or other Local Courts

PART VII
MISCELLANEOUS

    39.    Contempt of court

    40.    Representation of parties

    41.    Appeals

    42.    Stay of execution and admission to bail pending appeal

    43.    Power on appeal

    44.    Indemnity of certain persons

    45.    Penalty for false evidence

    46.    Rules

    47.    Repeals and savings

        FIRST SCHEDULE

        SECOND SCHEDULE

9 of 2011
G.N. 47/2017

    An Act to make provision for the establishment and constitution of Local Courts, the jurisdiction thereof, the procedure therein and for the proper administration of justice by such courts

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Local Courts Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “assessor” means a person appointed in accordance with section 7;

    “Chairperson” means the chairperson of a Local Court appointed in accordance with section 5;

    “language of the court” means the language or languages approved by the Chief Justice, in writing, as the language or languages in which the proceedings may be held;

    “Local Court” means a court established under this Act and includes a District Appeals Local Court;

    “witness” includes a complainant and an accused who gives evidence.

3.    Substantial justice to be done without undue regard to technicalities

    No proceedings in a Local Court and no summons, warrant, process, order or decree issued or made thereby shall be varied or declared void upon appeal by reason of any defect in procedure or want of form, and every court exercising appellate powers under this Act shall decide all matters according to substantial justice without undue regard to technicalities.

PART II
ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF LOCAL COURTS

4.    Establishment of Local Courts

    There are hereby established the following Local Courts, subordinate to the High Court—

    (a)    the District Appeals Local Courts which shall be appellate courts established in each district; and

    (b)    Local Courts established in such places in each district as the Chief Justice may determine.

5.    Composition of Local Courts

    (1) A District Appeals Local Court or a Local Court shall be presided over by a Chairperson who shall be appointed by the Chief Justice on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.

    (2) The Chairperson may sit with at least two assessors selected from a panel of assessors appointed in accordance with section 7.

6.    Qualification of Chairperson

    A person shall not qualify to be a Chairperson of a District Appeals Local Court or a Local Court unless that person—

    (a)    has attained the age of thirty-five years;

    (b)    is in possession of a Malawi School Certificate of Education or its equivalent;

    (c)    has adequate knowledge of the customary law of the area;

    (d)    has adequate command of the language of the Court;

    (e)    is proficient in English language;

    (f)    has no criminal record involving dishonesty or moral turpitude;…