Nyasaland almost universal rejection of Federation. Finally, it suggested that the British government should negotiate with African leaders on the country's constitutional future. The Devlin Commission's report is the only example of a British judge examining whether the actions of a colonial administration in suppressing dissent were appropriate. Devlin's conclusions that excessive force was used and that Nyasaland was a "police state" caused political uproar. His report was largely rejected and the state of emergency lasted until June 1960. At first, the British government tried to calm the situation by nominating additional African members (who were not Malawi Congress Party supporters)
Nyasaland Emergency 1959 the banned Nyasaland African Congress in August 1959 and rapidly grew into a larger mass-movement than Congress had been. By the end of 1959, the new Colonial Secretary, Iain MacLeod realised that he would have to negotiate with Banda, and that such negotiations would involve ending the Emergency, releasing the remaining detainees and Nyasaland's eventual withdrawal from the Federation. Armitage strongly resisted Macleod's proposals, particularly the release of Banda and other former Congress leaders, and it was unlikely that he would be able to negotiate effectively with Banda on constitutional progress. Because of his strong opposition to the release of