Parliament to debate three legislative bills
Nmangale: I can confirm the three bills have been gazetted
At least three executive-legislative Bills have been gazetted for debate by Parliament in the current sitting.
According to Ministry of Justice spokesperson Frank Namangale, the Bills focus on companies, copyright, and marriage laws and will see amendments in the acts that guide the companies, copyright, and marriages.
The Companies, Registrations, and Intellectual Property Centre Bill, 2025, seeks to establish a semi-autonomous body responsible for company registrations, intellectual property rights, and related functions.
The new entity will take over the duties of the Department of the Registrar General, aiming to modernize and streamline business formalization and intellectual property administration.
It will also manage insolvencies, and collateral registries, and facilitate the exploitation of intellectual property in line with Malawi’s Intellectual Property Policy.
Another Bill under consideration is the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which recognizes the newly established Centre as the official office for copyright administration.
Under this Bill, the Registrar General will oversee copyright matters, including voluntary registration and enforcement.
The amendment also grants the Registrar of Copyright the authority to inspect premises suspected of copyright infringement and initiate legal action against violators.
Parliament will also debate the Marriage, Divorce, and Family Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes aligning the Marriage, Divorce, and Family Relations Act with the National Registration Act.
The amendment designates the Director of the National Registration Bureau as the official Registrar of Marriages, transferring the responsibility from the Registrar General.
Additionally, the duty of providing Marriage Register Books to Traditional Authorities will shift from the Minister to the Director of the National Registration Bureau.
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