Alumni news

Dr Steven Kayuni

A former Sussex law student has become the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Malawi.  Dr Steven Kayuni completed his PhD at Sussex between 2013 and 2016 and his Master of Laws (LLM) between 2009 and 2010. 

As DPP, Dr Kayuni is based within Malawi’s Ministry of Justice and is responsible for overseeing all criminal prosecutions and criminal processes in the country.   

Speaking about his time at Sussex, Dr Steven Kayuni said:  

“It is a humbling experience that somewhere along the way, the understanding and critical thinking about the law coupled with an enriching and rounded knowledge of, among others, highest academic standards of the University of Sussex’s School of Law, Politics and Sociology (LPS) during my LLM and PhD study, proved extremely worthwhile to the esteemed authorities to appoint me Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the Republic of Malawi.  

"The stakes are high – toughness on corruption and organized crime; child justice and gender crimes; fast-paced prosecutions; witness and victim protection; penal reform and modernization of the criminal justice system are a priority. I believe that fixing broken windows within Malawi’s criminal justice system will go a long way in postulating the well-being of so many communities and the trajectories of so many lives. 

"I cherish the Sussex University community support. Thank you so much.” 

Professor Richard Vogler from the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex, and who taught Dr Kayuni, said: 

"Steven was always a very principled, hard-working and thoughtful student and it was a real pleasure to work with him on both his LLM in International Criminal Law and his PhD which he completed in 2016. The government of Malawi couldn't have made a better choice for DPP and I am sure that he will bring his great energy and strong sense of justice to one of the most demanding roles in the profession. We are very proud of him and wish him all the best." 

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