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Prison Reform

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NEWS RELEASE: Malawi High Court upholds protection of undocumented immigrants from arbitrary and indefinite detention.

30 July 2024, Blantyre – Yesterday,  the Mzuzu High Court ordered that 30 days should be the reasonable time envisaged under the Immigration Act within which deportation of undocumented immigrants…
Prison
Criminal Justice

Mozambique: Challenging privileged conditions in prison for the rich

On 24 May 2023, 2000 Mozambican citizens, under the leadership of lawyer and human rights activist, Maria Alice Mabota, filed a petition before the Constitutional Council against section 8(2) of…
Criminal Justice

Malawi: Case concerning malnutrition in prisons

Background The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi states in Section 42(1)(b) that “every person who is detained, including every sentenced prisoner, shall have the right to be detained under…
Criminal Justice

Malawi: Seeking an effective and humane response to MDR-TB in prisons

Case Citation: Banda & Others v the Attorney General & Others (Constitutional Case No 120 of 2018), Zomba District Registry; Makwiza & Another v the Attorney General & Others (Civil…

Completed Cases

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Criminal Justice

Zambia: Health rights of HIV-positive prisoners

SALC is working with the Legal Resources Foundation in Zambia to secure the rights of HIV-positive prisoners to treatment, adequate food and improvements to prison conditions. The applicant inmates alleged…
Criminal Justice

Malawi: Challenging the imprisonment of children

Factual Background In 2018, a case was brought by civil society organisations were concerned that the conditions in Bvumbwe and Kachere prisons are deplorable and not in the best interests…
Criminal Justice

Lesotho: Palliative care for military prisoners

SALC supported a case brought by private lawyer, Advocate Mole Kumalo, to compel the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) to permit a soldier being held in detention to access medical care,…
Botswana

Botswana: Securing access to HIV treatment for prisoners

SALC worked with the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and AIDS (BONELA) to challenge the Botswana government’s policy of refusing HIV treatment to non-citizen prisoners. Citizen prisoners were entitled to…

Articles

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Articles

Prisons malnutrition persists

7 June 2024 The Nation By Zororai Nkomo Human rights defenders have raised concern over the deplorable and incessant food insecurity in Malawi prisons, which they say is a flagrant…
Articles

Migrant children should be protected from detention

29 June 2024 Malawi Nation By Zororai Nkomo Although the Constitution of Malawi provides for the protection of all children including migrant children, the continuous detention of these migrant minors…
Articles

Regulate clemency to protect sexual abuse survivors

IOL 1 June 2023 By Tambudzai Gonese-Manjonjo The recent presidential clemency/amnesty that saw scores of serving prisoners being released from Zimbabwe’s prisons has raised many topical issues. Zimbabwe’s prisons are…
Criminal Justice News

The Rivonia statement

Friday, 28 October 2022; A large, multi-sectoral group of stakeholders from across Africa met in Johannesburg near Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia, to consider urgent action to address cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions…

Resources

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Angola

Compêndio de jurisprudência sobre direitos humanos

Entre 2014 e 2024, os juízes e a comunidade jurídica que participaram no Fórum Regional Africano de Juízes (ARJF) discutiram vários casos que fizeram avançar os direitos humanos e a…
Botswana

Recueil de jurisprudence sur les droits de l’homme

Entre 2014 et 2024, les juges et la communauté juridique participant au Forum régional annuel des juges africains (FRAJ) ont discuté de diverses affaires qui ont fait progresser les droits…
Botswana

African Regional Judges Forum human rights case law compendium

Between 2014 and 2024, the judges and legal community attending the annual African Regional Judges’ Forum (ARJF) have discussed various cases that have advanced human rights and equity across the…
Criminal Justice News

The Rivonia statement

Friday, 28 October 2022; A large, multi-sectoral group of stakeholders from across Africa met in Johannesburg near Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia, to consider urgent action to address cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions…