Malawi

Enforcing Contracts in

Malawi

Listed below is a detailed summary of the efficiency of contract enforcement. It follows the evolution of a sale of goods dispute, tracking the time, cost and number of procedures involved from the moment the plaintiff files the lawsuit until actual payment.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Court Name (English): Blantyre Resident Magistrate Court
  • City: Blantyre

About This Topic

To see indicator data for all economies, see the Enforcing Contracts page. To see how economies rank, see the Rankings page.

Indicator
Time (days) 312
Filing and service 42
Trial and judgment 150
Enforcement of judgment 120
Cost (% of claim) 94.1
Attorney cost (% of claim) 75
Court cost (% of claim) 5.3
Enforcement Cost (% of claim) 13.8
Procedures (number) 42
Filing and service
1      Plaintiff requests payment: Plaintiff or his lawyer asks Defendant orally or in writing to comply with the contract.
2      Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to represent him before the court.
*      Plaintiff’s filing of summons and complaint: Plaintiff files his summons and complaint with the court, orally or in writing.
*      Plaintiff’s payment of court fees: Plaintiff pays court duties, stamp duties, or any other type of court fee.
3      Registration of court case: The court administration registers the lawsuit or court case. This includes assigning a reference number to the lawsuit or court case.
*      Assignment of court case to a judge: The court case is assigned to a specific judge through a random procedure, automated system, ruling of an administrative judge, court officer, etc.
4      Court scrutiny of summons and complaint: A judge examines Plaintiff's summons and complaint for formal requirements.
*      Judge admits summons and complaint: After verifying the formal requirements, the judge decides to admit Plaintiff’s summons and complaint.
5      Plaintiff’s request for service: Plaintiff makes a written request to the court that process be served on Defendant.
6      Court order for service: Upon Plaintiff’s request, judge orders process be served on Defendant.
7      Delivery of summons and complaint to person authorized to perform service of process on Defendant: The judge or a court officer delivers the summons to a summoning office, officer, or authorized person (including Plaintiff), for service of process on Defendant.
*      Mailing of summons and complaint: Court or process server, including (private) bailiff, mails summons and complaint to Defendant.
8      First attempt at physical delivery: A first attempt to physically deliver summons and complaint to Defendant is successful in the majority of cases.
*      Proof of service: Plaintiff submits proof of service to court.
*      Application for pre-judgment attachment: Plaintiff submits an application in writing for the attachment of Defendant's property prior to judgment. (see assumption 5)
*      Decision on pre-judgment attachment: The judge decides whether to grant Plaintiff’s request for pre-judgment attachment of Defendant’s property and notifies Plaintiff and Defendant of the decision. This step may include requesting that Plaintiff submit guarantees or bonds to secure Defendant
9      Pre-judgment attachment.: Defendant's property is attached prior to judgment. Attachment is either physical or achieved by registering, marking, debiting or separating assets. (see assumption 5)
Trial and judgment
10      Defendant’s deposit of a bond or payment guarantee with the court: Defendant deposits a bond or guarantee with the court.
11      Defendant’s filing of defense or answer to Plaintiff’s claim: Defendant files a written pleading which includes his defense or answer on the merits of the case. Defendant's written answer may or may not include witness statements, expert statements, the documents Defendant relies on as evidence and the legal authori
12      Deadline for Plaintiff to answer Defendant's defense or answer: Judge sets the deadline by which Plaintiff will be allowed to answer Defendant's defense or answer.
13      Plaintiff’s written response to Defendant's defense or answer: Plaintiff responds to Defendant’s defense or answer with a written pleading. Plaintiff's answer may or may not include a witness statements or expert (witness) statements.
14      Filing of pleadings: Plaintiff and Defendant file written pleadings and submissions with the court and transmit copies of the written pleadings or submissions to one another. The pleadings may or may not include witness statements or expert (witness) statements.
15      Adjournments: Court procedure is delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an adjournment to submit written pleadings.
*      Request for interlocutory order: Defendant raises preliminary issues, such as jurisdiction, statute of limitation, etc.
*      Court’s issuance of interlocutory order: Court decides the preliminary issues the Defendant raised by issuing an interlocutory order.
16      Plaintiff’s appeal of court's interlocutory order: Plaintiff appeals the court's interlocutory order, which suspends the court proceedings.
*      Discovery requests: Plaintiff and Defendant make requests for the disclosure of documents, attempting to force the other party to reveal potentially detrimental documents.
17      Discovery disputes: Following a request for discovery of documentary evidence, the other party disputes the request and calls upon the judge to decide the issue.
18      Pre-trial conference aimed at preparing for trial: The judge meets with parties to make practical arrangements for the trial (for example, the number of witnesses parties intend to call on during trial, how much time each party is given to present oral arguments etc.).
19      Adjournments: Court proceedings are delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an adjournment to prepare for the oral hearing or trial.
20      Trial (prevalent in common law): The parties argue the merits of the case at (an) oral session(s) before the court. Witnesses and expert witnesses are questioned and cross-examined during trial.
21      Adjournments: Court proceedings are delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an adjournment during the oral hearing or trial, resulting in an additional or later trial or hearing date.
22      Order for submission of final arguments: The judge sets the deadline for the submission of final factual and legal arguments.
*      Final arguments: The parties present their final factual and legal arguments to the court either by oral presentation or by a written submission.
23      Judgment date: The judge sets a date for delivery of the judgment.
24      Notification of judgment in court: The parties are notified of the judgment at a court hearing.
25      Writing of judgment: The judge produces a written copy of the judgment.
26      Registration of judgment: The court office registers the judgment after receiving a written copy of the judgment.
27      Court notification of availability of the written judgment: The court notifies the parties that the written judgment is available at the courthouse.
28      Plaintiff's receipt of a copy of written judgment: Plaintiff receives a copy of the written judgment.
29      Notification of Defendant of judgment: Plaintiff or court formally notifies the Defendant of the judgment. The appeal period starts to run the day the Defendant is formally notified of the judgment.
30      Appeal period: By law, Defendant has the opportunity to appeal the judgment during a period specified in the law. Defendant decides not to appeal. Judgment becomes final the day the appeal period ends.
31      Reimbursement by Defendant of Plaintiff's court fees: The judgment obliges Defendant to reimburse Plaintiff for the court fees Plaintiff has advanced, because Defendant has lost the case.
Enforcement of judgment
*      Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to enforce the judgment or continues to be represented by a lawyer during the enforcement of judgment phase.
32      Plaintiff's approaching of court enforcement officer or (private) bailiff to enforce the judgment: To enforce the judgment, Plaintiff approaches a court enforcement officer such as a court bailiff or sheriff, or a private bailiff.
*      Plaintiff’s request for enforcement order: Plaintiff applies to the court to obtain the enforcement order ('seal' on judgment).
33      Plaintiff’s advancement of enforcement fees: Plaintiff pays the fees related to the enforcement of the judgment.
34      Attachment of enforcement order to judgment: The judge attaches the enforcement order (‘seal’) to the judgment.
*      Delivery of enforcement order: The court's enforcement order is delivered to a court enforcement officer or a (private) bailiff.
*      Plaintiff’s request for physical enforcement: As Plaintiff fears that Defendant might physically resist the attachment of its movable goods, Plaintiff addresses a request to the judge or to the police authorities to obtain police assistance during the attachment of Defendant's movable goods.
35      Identification of Defendant's assets for attachment by court official or Defendant: Judge, a court enforcement officer, a (private) bailiff or the Defendant himself identifies Defendant's movable assets for attachment.
36      Attachment: Defendant’s movable goods are attached (physically or by registering, marking or separating assets).
37      Report on execution of attachment: A court enforcement officer or private process server delivers a report on the attachment of Defendant's movable goods to the judge.
38      Valuation or appraisal of attached movable goods: The court or court appointed valuation expert evaluates the attached goods.
39      Enforcement disputes before court: The enforcement of the judgment is delayed because Defendant opposes aspects of the enforcement process before the judge.
40      Call for public auction: The judge calls a public auction by, for example, advertising or publication in the newspapers.
41      Sale through public auction: The Defendant’s movable property is sold at public auction.
42      Reimbursement of Plaintiff’s enforcement fees: Defendant reimburses Plaintiff's enforcement fees which Plaintiff had advanced previously.
43      Payment: Court orders that the proceeds of the public auction or the direct sale be delivered to Plaintiff.

Nature of Procedures 43
Specialized commercial courts -1
Total Number of Procedures 42
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