Malawi govt prepared to review repressive laws – Goodall

Malawi government is prepared to repeal repressive laws like the amendment of Section 46 of the Penal Code which empowers a Minister of Information to ban a publication deemed not in the public interest.

Minister of Natural Resources, Goodall Gondwe said in Lilongwe when Presidential Committee on Contact and Dialogue briefed journalists on the talks with civil society, that government was keen to repeal repressive laws.

Gondwe: We are prepared to review

Civil society organisation had appealed to government to repeal laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution, including the media ban law, the injunctions law and Police law allowing cops to search houses and arrests without court warrants.

"Government has said let's review these bills again," said Gondwe.

"But don't assume this way and think it is a small thing. Government has agreed that these bills can be looked at again," said the minister.

"We are a democratic government, we have established procedures how to handle this," he pointed out.

He said to repeal the laws, "you have to go through parliament."

"The process has got to be followed," he stressed.

"These bills that you are talking about have a number of issues and clauses. Professional people have to look at them again," he said.

Gondwe said civil society activist and their legal experts will be called to look at the clauses and discuss how they can be amended or repealed.

Nyasa Times 21 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/20/malawi-govt-prepared-to-review-repressive-laws-goodall/
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