On a Tuesday afternoon in July, a magistrate sits inside a local prison in Malawi. A remandee stands before him and begins to share his story: he was arrested for stealing goods valued at 50 000 kwacha (30 USD), but the complainant never appeared in court. The prisoner has spent over three months awaiting progress on his case, with little movement. However, the day the magistrate hears his case, the prisoner is released.
This is one of many sessions in Malawi’s camp courts, mobile courts designed to ease the burden on the justice system and address prison overcrowding. Borrowed from India in the early 2000s, camp courts save the time and expense of transporting prisoners to the courtroom while facilitating access to justice.
The process begins with local paralegals compiling a list of remandees whose cases require attention. This list is submitted to a magistrate, who then holds hearings inside the prison. On average, each camp court hears 15–20 bail applications, with 10–15 resulting in successful outcomes.
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