Irish Rule of Law International is pleased to announce the publication of a collaborative report with Reprieve, CHREAA, SALC, and PASI. The report focuses on the issue of forced confessions within Malawi's legal landscape, highlighting the disproportionate impact on marginalised groups and emphasising the need for reforms.
In Malawi, accused persons often confess to the crime or prepare little to no defence on their own behalf. Many do not know how to respond to the State's case and are coerced into making confessions.
Such forced confessions are admissible in Malawi. This, along with the fact that police officers often do not receive adequate training, means they are essentially allowed to use cruel inhuman or degrading treatment to elicit confessions, with no repercussions.
To draw attention to this situation, Irish Rule of Law International has co-authored an article in collaboration with Reprieve, the Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA), the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), and the Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI). Together, we highlighted the legality of forced confessions in Malawi, focusing in particular on the experience of people from the LGBTQI community and asylum seekers.
The report has just been published in the annual newsletter of the Committee for the Prevention Against Torture in Africa (CPTA).
Thanks to Reprieve, CHREAA, SALC, and PASI for creating this report with us!