On 31 May 2023, 28 men were arrested in Harare CBD under the country’s vagrancy laws. These arrests raise the question of why vagrancy laws still exist and are still…
Staff Writer9 June 2023
PUBLISHED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LAW REVIEW CAVEAT Anneke Meerkotter 74 U. Miami L. Rev. Caveat 1 (2020). Abstract For centuries, and across the world, penal laws have been…
Anneke Meerkotter15 January 2020
Factual Background One of the enduring legacies of colonialism in Africa is the police practice of arbitrary mass arrests. These so-called ‘sweeping’ or ‘swooping’ exercises are typically conducted by police…
Staff Writer21 February 2019
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Commission) has recognised that the declassification and decriminalisation of petty offences is an important human rights issue. A Side Event on the…
Staff Writer31 October 2017
The Nation Victor Mhango and Anneke Meerkotter In January 2017, the Malawi High Court, in the case of Mayeso Gwanda, made a finding that would have reverberations throughout Africa. It…
Anneke Meerkotter18 October 2017