Malawi is considered one of the leading constitutional democracies on the African continent, where the judiciary is demonstrably independent, and the executive has expressly committed to deepening democracy. Malawi’s Judiciary stands out as a model judiciary in Africa, that enforces the rule of law and human rights impartially, in defense of constitutional democracy.
The process of deepening democracy requires regular constructive dialogue among stakeholders regarding the civic space as a key aspect of constitutional democracy. The civic space refers to the space within which individuals and groups can organize themselves and participate in public affairs in order to hold their government accountable and to provide input in public decision-making processes.
The openness of the civic space is dependent on individuals and groups being guaranteed and permitted to exercise a range of human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of assembly, and the right of access to information, both online and offline.
Malawi has made considerable progress in enacting laws and policies which protect the civic space and the judiciary has played a significant role in protecting the civic space related rights. However, as is the case with many other constitutional democracies the world over, there are challenges which affect Malawi’s progress towards entrenching and protecting its the civic space.