CENTRE FOR LEGAL STUDIES

Mission Statement

In fulfilment of its mission of contributing to the integral development of the nation through vocational training, academic courses, and research activities that are tailored to most critical needs of the nation and the church, the Catholic University of Malawi has established a centre for Legal studies. The Centre’s principal objectives include:

1. To run short courses for practicing lawyers on topics/areas not sufficiently covered by other institutions in the country.
2. To make available to Malawian lawyers the most up-to-date legal knowledge through for instance live lectures, workshops, conferences, publications, in hard copy and/or digital formats.
3. To organize workshops and debates for the general public on legal issues of national importance.
4. To complement the Law Society of Malawi in promoting and providing legal expertise in the country.
5. To establish a fellowship programme through which Malawian lawyers can receive scholarships to do research in legal issues of national importance and publish under the auspices of the Centre.
6. To establish a legal series under which handbooks on Malawian Law can be published that can be used in legal teachings and that will lead to a wider dissemination of knowledge of Malawian Law.
7. To establish structural relationships with law firms and faculties around the world with a view to improving Malawi’s position in international legal networks.
8. To establish high quality master programmes in areas of law important to the development of Malawi and that can compete with master programmes offered elsewhere in the world.

Initially, the Centre’s major activity will be bringing in leading legal scholars and practitioners from Clifford Chance, a London based international law firm, and from leading law firms within Malawi and the Region to provide short intensive courses on a range of topics including the following: Banking Law; (Structured) Finance Law; Derivatives; Mergers & Acquisitions, Due Diligence; Securities Law; International Trade Law; Drafting Agreements; Governance; and International Commercial Law.

Other topics will include Constitutional law; Administrative Law; Human Rights Law; National Commercial Law, including, amongst other topics, Company Law; Fair Trade; and Land Law

As the abovementioned legal topics are closely related to economic, political, and development, issues, the Centre shall also invite speakers to speak on these associated topics of national concern. These speakers shall be those doing cutting edge research in their fields.