MALAWI: Government of Malawi Accredits Catholic University Law Programme
Luke Bisani
Malawi Government through the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has accredited the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) programme at the Catholic University of Malawi.
The Catholic University of Malawi becomes the first ever private University in Malawi to have its Law programme accredited by the NCHE.
In a circular with reference; VC/CU/Admin/2O21/07, the University received an accreditation confirmation of its programme after board members of NCHE had met for their 33rd meeting on 5th October, 2021.
“Given the importance we ascribe to standards and independent assessment of our programmes and the long wait, we have endured to have our law programme accredited. We regard this development as a milestone in the history of our University and indeed, the history of legal education in Malawi,” peads Part of a circular signed by Vice-Chancellor of the University Rev. Fr. Dr. George Buleya.
The circular further indicates that the university will now hold its graduation ceremony for law students who completed their studies the past few years at the University.
Commenting on the accreditation news, a fourth-year Law Student at the Catholic University of Malawi Haswell Banda expressed happiness saying, the development has challenged the student to work hard and become professional legal practitioners in Malawi.
“The accreditation of law programme at the Catholic University of Malawi is a triumph not just for the University, but for Malawi at large” said Banda.
Concurring with Banda, another fourth-year student at the University Lindana Kandaya Mgomezulu said the accreditation signifies a movement towards improving legal education in the country.
“This accreditation means that we are to have provide quality lawyers in the country unlike in the past when law programme was only offered by one institution of higher learning,” said Mgomezulu.
Until this week, only the University of Malawi formerly known as Chancellor College offered a nationally recognized Bachelor of Law degree programme.
