Making his ruling on January 16, Justice Anacklet Chipeta said MACRA behaved most disgracefully with a lot of irregularities.

"I am in no doubt that the application, herein, should succeed. I accordingly hold that the decision-making process that led to the revocation of radio License was flawed through and through with irregularities.

"I find that MACRA behaved most disgracefully and that it not only acted ultra vires the powers that the law has vested it with, but also without fairness in the sense depicted by the principles of natural justice,” said the judge in his ruling.

On the argument by MACRA that Joy radio did not comply with orders from the regulatory body on the submissions of broadcasting material, Justice Chipeta said it was all due to unreasonableness on MACRA.

After this latest ruling Joy Radio is now back on air after it was closed down in December by MACRA. Since it was granted a broadcasting license in 2002 Joy Radio has faced incidents such as being attacked by thugs, uprooting of its broadcasting equipment by MACRA and several closures.

Source: MISA Malawi

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