Murder and manslaughte in Malawi traditonal courts

In 1969, Malawi accorded extensive criminal jurisdiction to its Local or Traditional Courts, in an attempt to make the administration of justice more palatable to the Government and the people. There has been a sufficient number of Traditional Court decisions to permit a tentative analysis of the results of this experiment. A deeper study awaits the passage of time. This article is an attempt to inject some objective evidence into the debate over the desirability of courts in which lay judges apply customary law.