Jan 20, 2016 | News
The ICJ supported the convening of a three-day meeting of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zimbabwe. The meeting reviewed the content of the courses offered at the University with the view of aligning the subject matter to the new constitution.
The Dean of Law Mr Magade noted in his introduction that “this Curriculum Review gives us a fabulous opportunity to take a long and hard look at ourselves and self introspect and come up with suggestions on how to improve our curriculum. At the end of the day we need to produce a product or graduate that is fit for purpose.”
The meeting took place at the Troutbeck Inn in Nyanga from 18 to 20 January 2016 and congregated 30 academic staff members from the University including a curriculum expert, Dr Nziramasanga, from the Faculty of Education. Dr Mosito and Dr Dingake from the Lesotho and Botswana respectively also contributed to the review process.
Dec 16, 2015 | Advocacy, Events
The ICJ joins other non-governmental organisations in co-sponsoring “Escalation of Violence in Burundi: Human rights defenders voices from the ground”, a side event to the Human Rights Council’s special session on Burundi, 17 December 2015.
The event will take place Thursday 17 December – 9.00-10.00 am in Room XII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Panelists:
Mr Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons (APRODH)
Ms Margaret Barankitse, Maison Shalom
Mr Anschaire Nikoyagize, Ligue ITEKA
Ms Carina Tertsakian, Human Rights Watch
The event will be moderated by Nicolas Agostini of FIDH.
The event will be webcast live by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
Follow on twitter using the hash-tag #BurundiHRDs
A flyer for the event is available here: Burundi-UNHRC-Advocacy-SideEvent-2015
Dec 11, 2015 | Events, News
On 10-11 December, the ICJ gathered leading jurists and human rights defenders in Harare, Zimbabwe to discuss measures needed to implement legal reform and change attitudes to eliminate sexual and gender based violence.
For International Human Rights Day (10 December), the ICJ organized high level panel discussions, chaired by ICJ Commissioner Justice Qinisile Mabuza.
Justice Mabuza, who is also a judge for the High Court of Swaziland and for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Court of Justice, set the tone for the discussions that followed in setting out the extent of the problem of sexual and gender based violence not only within Africa but also on a global scale.
One panel consisted of Judge Lillian Tiabtemwa-Ekrikubinza, Supreme Court Judge of Uganda; Magistrate Asha Ramlal of South Africa; Judge Lavender Makoni, High Court Judge of Zimbabwe; and Magistrate Polo Banyane from Lesotho.
This panel provided a judicial perspective from magistrates and judges from across the region, sharing their experiences and common problems encountered in tackling sexual and gender based violence in their jurisdictions.
The judges spoke about the need to adopt a gender analysis in judicial decision-making and to be conscious of the way in which pervasive gender stereotypes can influence even seemingly gender neutral decisions.
They also spoke of the practicalities in implementing domestic violence and sexual offences legislation as well as the challenges involved when this legislation does not exist.
Welekazi Stifole from Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre; Kelvin Hazangwi from Padare (Men’s Forum on Gender) and Lisa Gormley, ICJ Consultant on women’s rights participated in a second panel.
The participants shared their perspectives and insights concerning reviewing legislation, identifying problems with evidence gathering, analyzing the international and regional frameworks covering gender based violence and in working with perpetrators and within communities to change cultural attitudes.
The second day of the gathering featured a consultative meeting on the ICJ’s forthcoming Practitioner’s Guide on Women’s Access to Justice for Gender-Based Violence.
ICJ expert consultant Lisa Gormley presented the Guide and participants shared their experiences in relation to its content, as well as developing strategies for its future implementation.
Representatives of civil society, judges, lawyers and law students participated in both events, contributing to a broader understanding of sexual and gender based violence issues and strengthening national and international networks of defenders of women’s rights.
Nov 28, 2015 | News
The ICJ co-hosted the Joint Zimbabwe Judicial-Legal Practitioners Colloquium in Zimbabwe. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) and the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) of Zimbabwe.
The meeting took place on 27 – 28 November 2015 under the theme “Access to Justice: Barriers and Solutions (A Bar-Bench Dialogue)”.
This year it congregated 30 legal practitioners and 60 Judges who sought to have an honest discussion on the challenges that affect access to justice in Zimbabwe in an attempt to seek practical solutions to these challenges for greater access.
The Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, and the President of the Law Society Mrs Vimbai Nyemba, in their opening remarks both highlighted the importance of this dialogue platform to justice delivery in Zimbabwe.
They both noted how the colloquium has over the years contributed towards the construction of bridges between the bar and the bench and the doing away of hostilities for the betterment of Justice delivery.
Nov 7, 2015 | News
The ICJ, Lawyers for Human Rights Swaziland (LHR(S), Lawyers for Human Rights South Africa (LHR), and Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) organized a training on strategic litigation for lawyers and human rights defenders from 6-7 November 2015 in Ezulwini.
The training was intended to empower Swazi lawyers and human rights defenders with tools for legal empowerment through litigation.
Further the training provided an opportunity for introducing the participants to international, regional and domestic mechanisms for strategic litigation and analysis of strategic litigation cases, opportunities and challenges in Swaziland.
Participants were drawn from different private law firms, human rights organisations, and the office of the Attorney General and women’s rights organisations.
To nurture regional peer learning and approaches the President of the Law Society of Lesotho Advocate Shale gave the key note presentation borrowing on lessons from other regions and Lesotho.
Resources persons included David Cote (LHR), Caroline James (SALC), Otto Saki (ICJ) and Thabiso Mavuso (Swaziland).
The expected impact is that increasingly lawyers and human rights defenders will take up strategic litigation as part of contributing to the achievement of systemic change and positive enforcement of fundamental rights and freedoms.
This training was held with the generous support of the European Union (EU) through the EU Delegation to Swaziland.
Contact:
Arnold Tsunga, ICJ Regional Director for Africa, t: +27 73 131 8411, e: arnold.tsunga(a)icj.org
Mandla Mkhwanazi LHR Swaziland Chairperson, t: +268 7602 6320, e: m.z.mkhwanazi(a)swazi.net
Caroline James, Lawyer, Southern Africa Litigation Centre t: 27 72 200 1813, e: CarolineJ(a)salc.org.za
David Cote, Programme Manager: Strategic Litigation Programme, LHR (South Africa) t: +27 11 339 1960, e: david(a)lhr.org.za
