The Zimbabwe Torture Case: Reflections on Domestic Litigation for International Crimes in Africa

by | Sep 23, 2019 | ACTA, ACTA 2016

The Zimbabwe Torture Case: Reflections on Domestic Litigation for International Crimes in Africa

Authors Angela Mudukuti

ISSN: 1996-2088
Affiliations: International Criminal Justice Lawyer at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre
Source: Acta Juridica, 2016, p. 287 – 296

Abstract

This piece highlights the importance of civil society initiatives to fight impunity on the domestic level in African countries, drawing on my experiences working on international criminal justice issues at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre. International crimes cannot be the business of the International Criminal Court alone and in order for complementarity to be realised, domestic jurisdictions must pull their weight. Here I will focus on one crucial civil society accountability initiative, the ground-breaking universal jurisdiction case that set an important precedent in South Africa, and globally: Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Another v The National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others. I will set out the key aspects of the case that enabled SALC to require the South African authorities to investigate allegations of international crimes, and show how the case has Continental and global significance by breathing new life into the principle of universal jurisdiction.

A Call to Action: National Bar Associations as Key Civil Society Actors for the Promotion of International Criminal Justice in Africa

by | Sep 23, 2019 | ACTA, ACTA 2016

A Call to Action: National Bar Associations as Key Civil Society Actors for the Promotion of International Criminal Justice in Africa

Authors Tosin Osasona

ISSN: 1996-2088
Affiliations: Research Associate at the Centre for Public Policy Alternatives, Lagos, Nigeria
Source: Acta Juridica, 2016, p. 272 – 286

Abstract

This reflection from the field argues that African bar associations have the potential to play a significant part in the fight against impunity in African countries, given their legal expertise and high standing in society, and calls on them to use these assets for this purpose. After providing a brief overview of the history of civil society efforts to promote human rights and the rule of law on the African Continent, the author considers the strength of bar associations and law societies in strengthening the rule of law promoting accountability on the Continent. The author assesses the prospect of using bar associations and law societies to popularise and promote international criminal justice in Africa.