HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY COMPETITION

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

From October 2016, Malawi joined the rest of Africa in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The local events marking this anniversary will be concluded this June 2017. One of the final events is a human rights essay competition in celebration of not only the Charter but the broader African human rights governance architecture.

The subject of the human rights essay is inspired by the adoption of a Protocol to the African Charter, popularly known as the Malabo Protocol, on 27th June 2014, by African Heads of States, which grants criminal jurisdiction to the yet to be operationalized African Court of Justice and Human Rights. The Protocol has to date not been ratified by a single African Country.

Considering the entire African human rights and governance structure, as well as Malawi's constitutional and international obligations, it has become imperative  that we ask whether Malawi should ratify the Malabo protocol.

The essay question for the human rights essay competition, therefore, is as follows:

              Should Malawi ratify the Malabo Protocol?

The Ministry therefore invites members of the public to participate in this essay competition. The essay should be a maximum of 2,000 words (typed) on A4 paper and should be submitted to:

Room 52, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs,

Human Rights Section, Capital Hill,

Private Bag 333,

Lilongwe 3.

OR

via email to mgamadzi@yahoo.ca.

The deadline for submissions is 30th June, 2017 at 2pm.

The winner of the human rights essay competition will walk away with the prize of US$1,000.00 (One Thousand United States Dollars) to be awarded at a function to be presided by the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Samuel Tembenu, SC.

For further details, kindly get in touch with Mr. Mathews Gamadzi at mgamadzi@yahoo.ca or 0991641475. 

Dr. Janet Banda, SC

SOLICITOR GENERAL AND SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

SPONSORED BY THE ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY