The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) held a two-day convening in Nairobi, Kenya, with judges, lawyers and academics from the Africa region on 30 and 31 March 2026. The ICJ jointly hosted the event with the University of Nairobi Faculty of Law; the SA Research Chair in Equality, Law and Social Justice, School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; and the African Judiciaries Research Network.
ICJ Commissioner Lawrence Mute
The convening discussed domestic courts’ jurisprudence in Africa and brought together judges – including women judges and judges with disabilities – with researchers, academics and civil society actors, with the aim of discussing how to develop and advance equality and non-discrimination jurisprudence in Africa. The convening discussed regional and international human rights law and standards on equality and non-discrimination and focussed on lived experiences of discrimination in African countries and on comparative best practices in confronting discrimination. The discussions addressed discrimination based on gender, the human rights of sexual minorities and other marginalized individuals and groups, including the human rights persons with disabilities.
The judges in attendance were from Kenya, South Africa and Malawi.
During this convening ICJ launched An African Comparative Law Casebook on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics and Justice. This Casebook focusses on 20 legal cases from domestic courts in 11 countries in Africa. This Casebook is intended for lawyers, judges and human rights activists – particularly those in the Global South – as a practical tool on how to use the law to protect the human rights of sexual and gender minorities and to raise arguments in domestic courts that are grounded in international and comparative human rights law and standards. The Casebook also aims to promote public awareness and public interest litigation in defence of the human rights of sexual and gender minorities and to assist lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals whose human rights have been violated to seek legal redress, including before the courts.
A second publication was also launched during this convening, Introduction to ‘Equality Law and Transformation in South Africa’ by Professor Cathi Albertyn.
