Abstract Despite the fact that traditional mediation is one of the main dispute resolution mechanisms in Malawi, the country’s formal legal and institutional frameworks pay little attention to its place in enhancing access to justice. This article analyses the extent to which Malawi’s traditional mediation law, practice and institutions promote access to justice. It relies on African mediation theory to argue that the reason why traditional mediation continues to be a favoured dispute resolution mechanism is because of its communitarian nature in its quest to restore harmony in society.
Sitolo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.