..Senior Counsel no, Senior Cartoon (legal) perhaps
…The legal fraternity was jolted with the Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda who signed his recent public notice indicating that he is Senior Counsel.
There has not been any public announcement about his appointment to the coveted title and he does not yet qualify according to the law.
According to section 55 of the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act, the President may confer the honour of Senior Counsel on the Attorney General or the Solicitor General who has served at least two years.
Chakaka Nyirenda was appointed on 27 August 2021 and he does not qualify for the honour yet.
Even if the incumbent AG is to finish two years in office his tenure has been embarrassing and has caused Malawi to be a laughing stock locally and Internationally.
The Attorney General has been defending those implicated in corruption scandal related to Zuneth Sattar including sitting on mutual assistance agreement submitted to his office between the ACB and National Crime Agency of UK.
The AG in trying to please his paymasters declared amnesty for all thieves and the corrupt pretending to save public resources. The public told him off.
Chakaka Nyirenda went ahead to cancel contracts on passports and licenses and which costs government billions and services collapsed.
Chakaka Nyirenda also attempted to thwart public inquiry on National Oil Company fuel procurement which fingered Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba.
The pinnacle of embarrassment are an embarrassing letter he wrote claiming US$350 billion from Columbia Gems for Chimwazulu Mines in Ntcheu. The claim is more than what Botswana has earned in Diamonds for a decade and Ruby is mined at a small scale.
“Unless it means Senior Cartoon for Legal Services yes, but not a Senior Counsel. If all the legal blunders by Government are anything to go by, he should never use that title,” mocked a lawyer on a chat group.
Chakaka Nyirendas record is worse than any other Attorney General so far.
