Malawi streets’ harsh reality for persons with disabilities

From the Daily Times, Malawi: Persons with disabilities in Malawi continue to face harsh realities on the streets. This is happening as the Constitutional Court spends eight years on a case in which they are challenging Section 180 (b) of the Penal Code. The section in question criminalises begging.

The applicants, who are persons with disabilities and were arrested and convicted of begging in 2017, are challenging the constitutionality of the offence of begging, which applies to non-aggressive begging, saying it criminalises the poor. In 2024, the High Court certified the begging case as a constitutional matter.

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Date:
10 December, 2025
Type of Update:
In the Courts
In the News
Updates from our Partners
Recent Events
Themes:
Alternatives to Criminalisation
Courts Systems
Fees and Fines
Human Rights
Petty Offences
Public Health
Prisons
Use of Public Spaces
Countries:
Malawi
Regions:
Africa
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The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.

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