Skip to document content Skip to main menu Skip to search

Magistrate Court Zomba

3 judgments
Advanced search
Skip past years
Filters
Skip to results
3 judgments
April 2026
The Republic v Lloyd Clement (Criminal Case 146 of 2026) [2026] MWMCZ 1 (21 April 2026)
Court refused bail review and denied DNA production, finding detention justified by public interest and irrelevance of the DNA request.
  • Criminal procedure
    • — Bail — Interest of justice and public interest — Whether continued detention justified where accused has case to answer and may delay administration of justice
    • — Presumption of innocence — Effect of finding of a case to answer on the presumption of innocence
    • — Production of evidence (s255(4)(b) CP & EC) — Whether court should order DNA production where paternity is irrelevant and application is vexatious
21 April 2026
August 2025
R v Vicious Mulawa (Criminal Case 321 of 2025) [2025] MWMCZ 2 (28 August 2025)
Charge under s.138 proved but dismissed under s.337(1)(a) due to youth, consensual non-exploitative relationship, and extenuating circumstances.
  • Criminal law — Sexual intercourse with a child (s.138 Penal Code) — statutory defence (consent, age difference, offender a child) — discretionary dismissal without conviction (s.337(1)(a) Criminal Procedure & Evidence Code) — consensual, non-exploitative adolescent relationships — pregnancy not automatically aggravating.
28 August 2025
R V Chifundo Salimu (Criminal Case 322 of 2025) [2025] MWMCZ 1 (18 August 2025)
Whether statutory defence applies to consensual adolescent sex and dismissal under section 337(1)(a).
  • Criminal law — sexual offences: consensual adolescent sex and defilement (section 138 Penal Code) — statutory defence requires accused to be a child, consent and ≤2 years age gap — dismissal under section 337(1)(a) — proportionality and constitutional concerns regarding over-criminalisation of adolescent consensual sex.
18 August 2025