Committed to legal awareness and equality in Malawi
KNOLL is a Malawi-based legal NGO. Our mission is to spread awareness of the laws of the land among Malawians and residents of Malawi through campaigns that educate local communities on Malawi’s justice system. KNOLL works to empower Malawians with a foundational understanding of legal rules, processes and procedures. This can either serve as a barrier to misuse of the justice system against uninformed participants or as a bridge to access justice. KNOLL specifically seeks to counteract the cost and complexity of Malawi’s legal system so that Malawians can benefit from the protection and promotion of welfare that forms the basis of Malawi’s legal regime.
Malawi’s Justice Crisis
Malawi’s laws are enacted by Malawians for the protection of Malawi and its residents. It follows that Malawians should reap the benefits from the promotion of peace, freedom and democracy that inform the decisions of Malawi’s legislature. However, the majority of Malawians remain unaware of the laws governing them because these laws are antiquated, receive little publicity and remain inaccessible to the average layperson. Without the costly services of a lawyer, few Malawians are in a position to understand and act on the basics of the legal system that outline and protect their rights and freedoms. This has created an increasingly dire access to justice crisis. Malawians have become victims of a legal system which is only accessible for the elite.
In order to address such problems, the directors, members and associates of KNOLL strive to raise awareness of the laws and legal processes of Malawi’s justice system through the media (drama, video clips, posters), educational campaigns, legal workshops and other avenues. We also provide free legal services to vulnerable people. KNOLL aims to make the laws of Malawi accessible and it is the eventual aim of KNOLL to translate the laws that govern Malawian society into its various local languages. To hear more about our aims and initiatives, see About Us.
“We are forging ahead. We will be teaching inmates and the general public the laws of the land so that they should have courage to stand in court and speak. Remember, the laws are not for lawyers but for people.”
Counsel Ghambi
Executive Director, KNOLL
Knowledge of Laws of the Land 