The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), in collaboration with the Judiciary and Malawi Law Society, recently conducted capacity building sessions on “Emerging Technologies and Cyber Laws” with technical assistance from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
The training, led by Professor Tana Pistorius from the University of Auckland, focused on the impact of digital technologies on the legal profession. Topics covered during the training included digital signatures, electronic evidence, cybersecurity, domain name management, cyber offenses, and the influence of AI on the legal field.
The training was necessitated by the shift brought about by emerging technologies in all aspects of our lives including the legal profession.
Honorable Chief Justice R. Mzikamanda who was the guest of honor at the training for legal practitioners and law enforcement agencies pointed out that digital technologies have impacted the delivery, interpretation and over all legal practice. The Chief Justice urged the legal practitioners to adopt the new technologies and be lawyers that are cyber smart.
The Chief justice also participated in the workshop for the Malawi Judiciary where 10 judges of the high courts were trained on emerging cyber laws and how to effectively interpret and implement the Electronic Transaction and Cybersecurity Act.