Since 2023, the Malawi Judiciary has been holding open days aimed at raising awareness and taking the Judiciary closer to the people. The initiative started with Blantyre, then Lilongwe in 2024. This year’s open day was held on Thursday, 24th July 2025 at Ngazi Primary School in Ekwendeni, Mzimba under the theme, “A Demystified, Accessible and People-Centred Judiciary.
Bringing together traditional leaders, faith communities, legal sector partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, government departments and members of the community, the open day started with a fun walk from Ekwendeni Community Day Secondary School.
Speaking on the day, the Honourable the Chief Justice Rizine Robert Mzikamanda said the initiative is an opportunity for the Judiciary to clear out some misconceptions surrounding its work. He acknowledged that the Malawi Judiciary knows that many people fail to differentiate the Judiciary’s work and that of related entities such as the Ministry of Justice, the Malawi Law Society, and the Malawi Police. He emphasised the need for the general public to view these as separate structures that, independent of each other, work towards justice.
The open day, which was moderated in English and Chitumbuka, featured interactive sessions, exhibitions, a career talk, and themed music, comedy and dance performances.
Concluding the week, the Judiciary joined the global community in commemorating the International Day for Judicial Well-being on Friday, 25th July 2025, in Mzuzu. The UN General Assembly, through the Nauru Declaration in March 2024, officially proclaimed 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
The Nauru Declaration acknowledges the vital role of the judiciary in upholding the rule of law and recognises that judicial well-being is essential for maintaining judicial independence, impartiality, and integrity. The declaration also highlights the need to destigmatise judicial stress and mental health challenges within the legal profession.
The Honourable the Chief Justice said it was exciting to note that the Malawi Judiciary was way ahead of time as it had already been holding a variety of activities in line with judicial wellness several years before the UN General Assembly proclaimed 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
He stressed on the need to for judicial officers and all members of staff to understand the clear connection between wellbeing and their day to day work within the Judiciary.
Activities during the commemoration, among others, included aerobics led by a professional trainer and a panel discussion which focused on the sharing of experiences on stressful moments whilst working in the Judiciary and how to manage them.
Through these back-to-back events, the Judiciary affirms its commitment to a justice system that is not only accessible and responsive to the people but also internally resilient and humane for those who serve within it.
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