Blantyre, 25 May, 2023 / 9:04 pm (ACI Africa).
The High Court in Blantyre, Malawi, has postponed the hearing meant to interpret Section 153 (c) of the Penal Code of the Southern African nation, which criminalizes consensual same-sex relations between two consenting adults to June 5 and June 6 from May 23.
The postponement comes a couple of days when officials of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), and the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) had called on the judges of the High Court in Blantyre to rule against same-sex unions.
Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda confirmed the postponement of the hearing to the press on May 23.
The AG said that he received a communication that the date was changed to give time to representatives of interested parties to prepare their submissions.
The case follows an application by Jana Gonani, a transgender woman, who was convicted in December 2021 by the Mangochi Senior Magistrate Court on the charge of unnatural offense contrary to Section 153 (c) of the Penal Code.