Court says Grounds of Appeal ‘Embarrassing’

The Supreme Court of Appeal has faulted grounds of appeal presented by the second appellant Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in the presidential elections case.

Reading out the judgement Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda said some of the grounds of appeal were argumentative, baseless, unprofessional and embarrassing.

The Chief Justice added that grounds of appeal should not be repetitive but that they noticed that was the case in the appeal by the MEC which presented 137 of them.

“Many of those grounds of appeal are repetitive and argumentative. Some of them are extremely confrontational and they make unwarranted and baseless accusations of bias against the court below.

“Allegations of bias should not be lightly made, especially against a court, we emphasize. Some of the grounds were not just fictitious, but clearly unprofessional and distasteful we have found them to be unnecessary numerous convoluted and embarrassing,” said the Chief Justice.

The Supreme Court began by laying ground, referring the court back to the decision of the lower Constitutional Court.