Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive: Where Does Each Arm’s Power Begin and End?

The Malawi Political Science Association (PSA) invites you to Webinar Series #9: “Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances in Democratic Malawi.”

At a time when developments in Malawi are prompting questions about the exercise of public power, understanding the roles and limits of Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive is essential. Who has the authority to do what? How should these institutions hold one another accountable? And when does the exercise of oversight become interference?

This timely discussion will examine the relationships between the three arms of government and what they mean for constitutional democracy, accountable leadership and citizens’ rights.

The principal speaker, Associate Professor Nandini Patel, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Interaction, brings extensive scholarship on Malawi’s politics and democratic institutions. She co-edited the book of Government and Politics in Malawi and co-authored a chapter in this book on the legislature - experience directly relevant to understanding Parliament’s place in the country’s democracy.

Associate Professor Garton Kamchedzera, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Malawi, will serve as discussant. A Cambridge-trained legal scholar whose work addresses human rights, constitutional governance and the performance of legislative duties, he brings a valuable legal perspective on the responsibilities and limits of state institutions.

The session will be moderated by Dr Michael Jana, Executive Council Member of the Political Science Association.

Questions at the heart of the discussion include:

• Where do the mandates of Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive begin and end?
• How should checks and balances work in practice?
• How can institutions exercise oversight while respecting one another’s independence?
• What does separation of powers mean for citizens and democratic accountability?

Date: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Time: 18:00–19:30 Malawi time (CAT/SAST; UTC+2)
Platform: Microsoft Teams
To join: Scan the QR code on the accompanying event poster.

We invite citizens, students, academics, legal practitioners, policymakers, civil society organisations and the media to join this important conversation.

Join us as we examine who exercises power, who checks it, and how Malawi’s democracy can make accountability work.