Malawi’s Judiciary has launched a Prison Camp Court pilot at Lilongwe Prison as part of efforts to cut case backlogs and ease prison congestion through plea bargaining, according to The Daily Times. The Daily Times reports that the initiative will operationalise plea bargaining under Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code, and Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda said the reform had remained inactive for 16 years.
The Daily Times also reports that the programme is being supported through a partnership involving Pepperdine University, with the prison-based court expected to help resolve eligible cases faster through negotiated guilty pleas and sentencing agreements.