News Release: Botswana high court decriminalises consensual same-sex sexual cond...
On Tuesday, 11 June 2019, a full bench of the Botswana High Court issued a ground-breaking judgment, decriminalising same-sex sexual conduct between consenting adults. In a unanimous decision, Justices A.B Tafa, M. Leburu and J. Dube found that sections 164(a),…
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Botswana: Challenging Criminalisation of Same-Sex Sexual Relationships...
In September 2016, a gay man, filed an application challenging the constitutionality of sections 164(a), 164(c) and 165 of the Botswana Penal Code. These provisions criminalise same-sex sexual acts between consenting persons. The man seeks an order that the continued…
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Statement: Johannesburg High Court dismisses apartheid police officer’s applic...
Big day for international justice: Johannesburg High Court dismisses apartheid police officer’s application to cease prosecution The High Court on the 3rd of June delivered its finding in the criminal case of Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions (case…
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Linking Climate, Gender and HIV Justice: A Preliminary Report on Access to HIV T...
This is a preliminary report on barriers to access to HIV treatment and care experienced by communities living in and around the Lake Chilwa area in Malawi. A fact-finding mission was undertaken in August 2018 by the Coalition of Woman…
Read More SALC in the news: South Africa ruling opens way for apartheid-era prosecutions...
The Washington Post JOHANNESBURG — A former South African police officer will face trial over the 1971 killing of an anti-apartheid activist after a court ruling that could lead to the prosecution of similar crimes . The high court in…
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Zambia: Challenging the enforcement of the offence of defamation of the Presiden...
The offence of defaming the President has been used far more in Zambia over the past decade than in many other countries. This is a great cause of concern and requires clear statements from the courts which would narrow the…
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Statement: SALC condemns the arrest and ongoing detention of four human rights d...
SALC condemns the arrests of Tatenda Mombeyara, Gamuchirai Mukura, George Makoni and Nyasha Mpahlo by Zimbabwean authorities on Monday, 20 May 2019. The four NGO leaders were abducted by the police from Robert Mugabe International Airport upon their return to…
Read More News Release: SALC concerned about judicial persecution of human rights lawyers ...
SALC is concerned about the criminal charges laid against human rights lawyer Doug Coltart who was summoned to the Harare Central Police Station on the 28th April 2019 and was charged with ‘participating in gathering with intent to promote public…
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Malawi: The Internet Should Stay On to Help Ensure a Free and Fair Election in M...
Over the weekend, Director General of the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA), Godfrey Itaye, called a meeting in Blantyre to take place at 17h30 on Saturday, 18 May 2019. The meeting’s pressing action item: discussing the government’s attempt to shutdown…
Read More Malawi: Asserting the right to legal representation...
Factual Background Mr D had been convicted of robbery after a full trial. At the time of his trial, however, he was not informed of his right to legal representation, and he further did not benefit from the offer of…
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Nigeria: Challenge to arbitrary arrest of women during sweeping exercises...
Factual Background The applicants were among 71 women who were arrested at various public spaces in Abuja between 17 and 26 April 2019. The arrests were carried out by the FCTA Joint Task Team comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Securities…
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The Internet Shutdowns Cast Doubt on Election Integrity: Malawi and Mozambique S...
By: Tyler Walton (SALC Fellow) On Sunday 28 April, starting at around midnight, people in Benin were unable to access social media sites and apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Telegram, and Viber. The partial shutdown was followed by a…
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