As an organisation devoted to the Rule of Law and the legal protection of human rights, the involvement of the ICJ in South African legal affairs spans over four decades.
It has followed legal developments in South Africa for many years – sending fact-finding missions – observing important trials and publishing materials on the Rule of Law and human rights in the country.
Following its interest in legal developments in the country, the ICJ did not lose the opportunity to send an eminent team of lawyers to observe the 27 April 1994 parliamentary elections in South Africa.
The report of the mission presents an objective analysis of the myriad legal and constitutional problems confronting the leaders of the New South Africa. It makes recommendations as to what concrete measures could be implemented to deal with these problems.
The ICJ team was headed by Mr. William J. Butler, former Chairman of the ICJ Executive Committee, and composed of Professor Bert Lockwood, Dean Joseph P. Tomain, and Mr. Peter Solbert, who are members of the ICJ affiliate in the USA, the American Association for the International Commission of Jurists (AAICJ).
South Africa-dawn of democracy-fact finding mission report-1994-eng (full text in English, PDF)