Richard Banda
{{Not to be confused with|Richard Chimwendo Banda}}
{{Short description|Malawian barrister}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = His Lordship
The Honourable Chief Justice
| name = Richard Banda
| honorific_suffix = SC
| nickname =
| image =
| caption =
| order1 = First Gentleman of Malawi
| term_label1 = In role
| term_start1 = 7 April 2012
| term_end1 = 31 May 2014
| predecessor1 = Callista Chimombo
| successor1 = Gertrude Maseko
| order2 = Chief Justice of Malawi
| term_start2 = 1992
| term_end2 = 2002
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| order3 = Chief Justice of Eswatini
| term_start3 = 2007
| term_end3 = 2010
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 = Michael Ramodibedi
| party =
| spouse = Joyce Banda
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Kawambwa, Northern Rhodesia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
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| children =
| residence =
| relations =
| signature =
}}
Richard Banda SC is a Malawian barrister and former athlete. He is a judge who formerly served as Chief Justice of Malawi and Eswatini and as Minister of Justice in Malawi. He was president of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association and Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal. As a sportsman, Banda was a track and field athlete and soccer player. He is the spouse of the former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda and, as such, was the First Gentleman.{{cite web |url=http://www.maravipost.com/-life-and-style/health/4637-vp-joyce-banda-fronts-new-peoples-party.html#ixzz1Xgw0HBEW |title=How Malawi officials siphon money from treasury–report | Malawi News |publisher=The Maravi Post |accessdate=2013-12-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216025013/http://www.maravipost.com/-life-and-style/health/4637-vp-joyce-banda-fronts-new-peoples-party.html#ixzz1Xgw0HBEW |archivedate=16 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
Career
=Athletic career=
He played soccer for Malawi,[http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/185183/185198/185199/185211/justice_richard_banda__malawi/ Commonwealth Secretariat – Justice Richard Banda] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928094920/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/185183/185198/185199/185211/justice_richard_banda__malawi/ |date=28 September 2012 }} was the captain of the Malawi national team, the Flames, and later was president of the Football Association of Malawi. As a track and field athlete, Banda represented Malawi in the high jump. He later became the president of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association of Malawi.
=Legal career=
Banda was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in July 1966. He then worked with the Malawi Government Legal Service until 1970. He was appointed the Director of Public Prosecution by the president of Malawi Kamuzu Banda and later served as acting Solicitor General and Secretary for Justice. In April 1972 he was appointed Attorney General and became the first Malawian to be created Senior Counsel. He worked in these two roles until 1974 when he became Minister of Justice and Attorney General and was responsible for the Portfolio of Local Government until his resignation in 1976.
In 1980, he re-entered the Judicial Service to fill the newly created office of Chief Resident Magistrate. In November 1980 he was appointed a Judge of the High Court and Supreme Court of Malawi. In 1992 Banda was appointed the first black Chief Justice of Malawi until 2002.{{cite web| url = http://allafrica.com/stories/200301220853.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030124060602/http://allafrica.com/stories/200301220853.html| archive-date = 2003-01-24| title = allAfrica.com -- Malawi [opinion]: Profile of Retired Chief Justice Richard Banda}} He was the president of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association (CMJA) 2000–2003.
He was the Chief Justice of Eswatini.{{cite web|title=Board|website=The African Parks Network|url=http://www.african-parks.org/apffoundation/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=76 |accessdate=12 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817025935/http://african-parks.org/apffoundation/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=76 |archivedate=17 August 2011 }} He spoke against corruption and backlogs in the Swaziland Criminal Justice System.[https://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_l20540207_text Swaziland: Criminal Justice System - Global Legal Monitor - Law Library of Congress (Library of Congress)] Banda was succeeded by Michael Ramodibedi after he retired due to his health.[http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2010/03/05/lesotho-national-sworn-in-as-chief-justice-of-swazi-court/ Lesotho national sworn-in as Chief Justice of Swazi court]
Honors and awards
- Chairman of African Parks (Majete), 2003–2007
- President, Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal
- President, Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association (CMJA), 2000–2003
- Honorary Life Fellow, Society of Advanced Legal Studies (constituent organization of the University of London)
- Honorary Master of the Bench, Gray's Inn
Personal life
Banda was born in Kawambwa, Northern Rhodesia, near the border with Nyasaland (now Malawi).[http://nezane.org/meeting-malawi%E2%80%99s-first-female-vice-president/ Meeting Malawi's First Female Vice-President], Zambian Association of New England. Retrieved 9 April 2012. He is married to Malawi's former President, Joyce Banda.{{cite web |url=http://www.maravipost.com/-life-and-style/health/4637-vp-joyce-banda-fronts-new-peoples-party.html |title=How Malawi officials siphon money from treasury–report | Malawi News |publisher=The Maravi Post |accessdate=2013-12-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216025013/http://www.maravipost.com/-life-and-style/health/4637-vp-joyce-banda-fronts-new-peoples-party.html |archivedate=16 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }} He is brother-in-law to Anjimile Oponyo.
References
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Category:Chief justices of Malawi
Category:Chief justices of Eswatini
Category:First ladies and gentlemen of Malawi
Category:Malawian male high jumpers
Category:People from Kawambwa District
Category:Malawian judges on the courts of Eswatini
Category:Members of Gray's Inn
Category:Attorneys-general of Malawi
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)