International Criminal Justice
SALC’s International Criminal Justice programme has the following objectives:
- To raise regional awareness about the domestication of the ICC Convention and to promote accountability for crimes against humanity at domestic levels through strategic litigation.
- To improve understanding of the ICC and its mandate whilst supporting domestic and regional accountability mechanisms.
- To litigate at domestic levels to establish jurisprudence on universal jurisdiction.
- To litigate at domestic levels against corporate complicity in violations of international law and human rights.
On-going cases:
South Africa: Ahmed Timol case (Rodrigues v NDPP and Others)
South Africa/Jordan: Application as amicus curiae in respect of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s failure to cooperate with the ICC to arrest President Al Bashir
South Africa: Facilitate the prosecution of persons accused of crimes committed during Apartheid (Simelane)
Precedent cases:
South Africa: The State vs Henri Emomitimi Okah
South Africa: Amicus curiae in Law Society of South Africa case challenging SA’s signing of new SADC Tribunal protocol
South Africa/Zimbabwe: Case challenging NPA’s refusal to investigate cases of torture committed in Zimbabwe
South Africa/Rwanda: Judicial review of decision by South Africa to grant refugee status to former Rwanda general accused of war crimes
South Africa/Sudan: Case challenging the State’s failure to implement the ICC arrest warrant for Sudanese President Al Bashir
South Africa/Sudan: Amicus curiae in ICC cooperation hearing on South Africa’s failure to arrest Sudanese President Al Bashir
South Africa: Case challenging South Africa’s withdrawal from the ICC without parliamentary approval
News Release: SALC commends the President of South Africa for withdrawing his si...
The President of the Republic South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has officially withdrawn his signature from the 2014 SADC Protocol which establishes the SADC Tribunal. The withdrawal of the President’s signature follows the decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa…
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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…
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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News Release: ICC Appeals Chamber confirms the Decision of the pre-trial Chamber...
Johannesburg, 06 May 2019-The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has today delivered a unanimous judgment confirming the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber II that Jordan had failed to comply with its obligations under the Rome Statute to…
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News Release: International law demands that Omar al Bashir be handed over to th...
President Omar al Bashir of Sudan was overthrown and arrested on 11th April after months of sustained protests by Sudanese citizens who refused to endure his rule any longer. This ousting is the manifestation of the will of the Sudanese…
Read More SALC in the News: Demands for toppled Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to face ...
The Daily Maverick Experts differ over whether the new Sudanese military junta should be pressured to surrender ousted President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court. The toppling of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by his own security forces under pressure…
Read More SALC IN THE NEWS: Prosecuting apartheid atrocities-why an indictment for a singl...
By Atilla Kisla The Daily Maverick The crimes of apartheid has never been prosecuted before. Therefore, the Ahmed Timol case can pave the way to prosecute the atrocious crimes committed under the system of apartheid. Forty-seven years had passed since…
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News Release: International Crimes being committed in Zimbabwe...
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) is concerned with reports of serious human rights violations and commission of atrocities by the police forces, government armed forces and ZANU PF members in Zimbabwe since Monday 14 January. Following country wide protests…
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News Release: Law Society of South Africa and others v The President of the Repu...
On 11th December, 2018, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down judgment in the case of Law Society of South Africa and others v The President of the Republic of South Africa and others. In this case, the applicants…
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South Africa: Amicus curiae in Law Society of South Africa case challenging SA s...
SALC was admitted as amicus curiae in the matter of the Law Society of South Africa and others vs the President and Others. At the hearing SALC made submissions pertaining to relevant international and regional law legal basis for citizens to access a regional…
Read More SALC IN THE NEWS: TWO COURT DISPUTES TEST SA’s COMMITMENT TO RULE OF LAW...
The Daily Maverick President Cyril Ramaphosa faces great risks but also opportunities in how he handles ICC and SADC Tribunal cases. Are the planets aligning for South Africa to make a significant contribution to reforming the International Criminal Court (ICC)…
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SALC IN THE NEWS: South Africa’s role in the denial of justice in southern Afr...
Suzgo Lungu and MacKennan Graziano The Daily Maverick Why there is no functioning southern African regional court and how former president Jacob Zuma’s actions contributed to the termination of the SADC Tribunal. Former president Nelson Mandela once stated that “South…
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