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: Facilitate the prosecution of persons accused of crimes committed during Apartheid (Simelane)
Joao Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions & Others (Timol Case)
Revocation of visa to a convicted Dutch War Criminal: Augustinus Maria Kouwenhoven
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
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
REVOCATION OF VISA TO A CONVICTED DUTCH WAR CRIMINAL: AUGUSTINUS MARIA KOUWENHOV...
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre has filed an application requesting the Western Cape High Court to cancel the visa of convicted arms trafficker and war criminal Augustinus Maria Kouwenhoven. Kouwenhoven has been resident in South Africa since December 2016. He…
Read More SALC seeks cancellation of visa of convicted Dutch war criminal and fugitive fro...
SALC has filed an application to cancel the visa of convicted Dutch war criminal and fugitive from justice, Guus Kouvenhowen. The Southern Africa Litigation Centre has filed an application requesting the Western Cape High Court to cancel the visa of…
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Media statement: Zimbabwe Republic Police are refusing to allow Dr Peter Magombe...
SALC is concerned about the failure of the Zimbabwe government to abide by an order of the High Court. This follows the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s (ZRP) repeated refusals to permit Dr Magombeyi to leave the country in order to seek…
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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. Notice of the withdrawal can be found in paragraph 20 of the Communique_of_the_39th_SADC_Summit which was held…
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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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Joao Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others (Timol case...
On 28 and 29 March 2019, the High Court in Pretoria will hear the criminal case of Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions (case number: 76755/18). Joao Rodrigues (“the Applicant”), a former member of the Security Branch under the…
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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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