Top London lawyers fly to Africa to advise on Malawi election dispute

Three of the City's top lawyers are flying to the African state of Malawi to argue a constitutional point which could bring down the government.

Lawrence Graham's head of litigation Andrew Dobson and leading silks James Goudie QC and Clive Stanbrook QC will debate whether the voting system of the country is flawed.

The opposition parties in the country are challenging the result of last summer's elections, where the govern-ment won 51 per cent of the votes and took power.

They claim that the country's constitution requires the winners to have a majority of the electorate voting in their favour, rather than a majority of the turnout.

Dobson, who also acts for the estate of Diana, Princess of Wales, says: "They say it must get a majority of the electorate, which are those who are entitled to vote rather than those that did vote. We say that the whole constitution has got to be looked at."

Dobson is representing the government, and has inst-ructed Goudie of 11 King's Bench Walk, who is one of the leading silks practising administrative and public law.

Stanbrook of Stanbrook & Henderson chambers has been instructed by local lawyers to represent the opposition parties.