Statecraft & Independence
Peerless
Orton Chirwa
1919 – 1992
Malawi's first Black barrister and first Attorney-General, dead after eleven years on death row
Peerless is level 1 of 4 in the Malawi Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He qualified as Malawi's first Black barrister in 1958 and became its first Minister of Justice. He fell out with Banda, was abducted from abroad, tried for treason and sentenced to death. He died in prison after nearly eleven years in the condemned cell.
Orton Chirwa returned home in 1958 as the first Black barrister Malawi had produced, his wife Vera having stayed behind with their three children and worked to support his studies in London.
He helped found the Malawi Congress Party and became the country's first Malawi-born Minister of Justice and Attorney-General at independence. After breaking with Hastings Banda he went into exile; he and Vera were abducted from abroad, tried in Malawi on charges of treason and sentenced to death. He spent close to eleven years on death row and died in prison on 20 October 1992. Vera survived and was released in 1993.
He helped found the Malawi Congress Party and became the country's first Malawi-born Minister of Justice and Attorney-General at independence. After breaking with Hastings Banda he went into exile; he and Vera were abducted from abroad, tried in Malawi on charges of treason and sentenced to death. He spent close to eleven years on death row and died in prison on 20 October 1992. Vera survived and was released in 1993.
- Wikipedia — Orton Chirwa
- Wikipedia — Vera Chirwa
- The Maravi Post — Orton Chirwa, Malawi's first Black barrister
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