Reproductive Rights Adjudication in Malawi: A Critical Analysis of <i>AC (A Minor) v Jenala Solomon & Others</i>

In October 2025, the High Court of Malawi delivered a landmark judgment in AC (A Minor) v Jenala Solomon & Others, holding that a 14-year-old survivor of defilement was entitled to access safe abortion services under the Gender Equality Act. This article provides a comprehensive doctrinal analysis of the judgment, examining its implications for Malawi's restrictive abortion law framework. It argues that while the decision represents a significant progressive development, it also exposes the deep tensions between Malawi's Penal Code, constitutional rights, and international human rights obligations. The court's purposive interpretation of the 'preservation of life' exception to include mental health, and its recognition of an 'automatic right' to abortion for child survivors of sexual violence, marks a departure from previous judicial caution. However, the judgment's reliance on the Gender Equality Act-a statute expressly made 'subject to any other written law'-raises questions about its doctrinal foundation. The article evaluates the decision in light of comparative jurisprudence, international human rights law, and the stalled legislative reform process, concluding with recommendations for comprehensive legal and policy reform.