By Chisomo Phiri

President Dr.Lazarus Chakwera has appealed to all Malawians to give newly appointed Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Lovemore Chikopa the much-needed support in his new role.

Chakwera made the appeal on Thursday during the swearing-in of Justice Chikopa at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

He said the position of the Deputy Chief Justice should be forever a fortress and a shield for Malawi in the defence and advancement of justice, adding that the office bearer’s work never ceases to be a threat to all enemies of Malawi’s peace.

Said Chakwera:“Today is a great day because we see the rise of Justice Lovemore Chikopa to the office of Deputy Chief Justice, becoming the first person in the history of Malawi to hold this position, newly established in the Constitution Amendment Bill that I signed into law three years ago.

“I must thank the judiciary, under the enlightened guide of the Chief Justice Mzikamanda, for successfully completing the functional review that resulted in Justice Chikopa’s approval for this appointment.”

He described Justice Chikopa as a patriotic person with integrity and capability to hold the position.

On his part, Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo said the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice will ease the workload of the office of Chief Justice.

“The office of the Chief Justice is a very busy office, so having the office of the deputy now means some of the work of the Chief Justice will be delegated to his deputy.

“We will be now looking forward to a better dispensation of judicial services and justice,” Mvalo said.

Justice Lovemore Paul Chikopa, born on  August 9, 1965, joined the judiciary in 1998 as Principal Resident Magistrate where he rose to the rank of Chief Resident Magistrate.

He was later appointed as a judge of the High Court in 2000 and as a Justice of Appeal in 2012.

Justice Chikopa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Malawi obtained in 1987.

He also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration acquired from the University of Zambia in 2021.