News

CSPRI co-hosts seminar on allocation of policing resources in South Africa

The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry recommended that the South African Police Service (SAPS) review the allocation of police resources across South Africa, after finding that the comparative allocation to Khayelitsha compared to other policing areas was irrational and unjust. To date neither the relevant Minister nor the SAPS has responded to the Commission Report.

CSPRI co-hosts seminar on allocation of policing resources in South Africa

The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry recommended that the South African Police Service (SAPS) review the allocation of police resources across South Africa, after finding that the comparative allocation to Khayelitsha compared to other policing areas was irrational and unjust. To date neither the relevant Minister nor the SAPS has responded to the Commission Report.

Challenging disadvantage in Zambia: Groundbreaking report released

A groundbreaking report providing an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by people with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities in Zambia's criminal justice system was published on 15 July 2015.

CSPRI works with LRF and RODI-KENYA on pre-trial audit

In June and July 2015 CSPRI worked with the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) - Kenya, and Resource Oriented Development Initiative (RODI) toward commencing their work for Kenya's National Council on the Administration of Justice.

CSPRI contributes to development of General Comment on Article 5

At the 56th ACHPR Ordinary Session, which was held in Banjul, The Gambia, from 21 April to 7 May 2015, the ACHPR Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) decided that its first General Comment on Article 5 and the prevention and prohibition of torture would examine the right to redress for victims of torture and other ill-treatment.

Mozambique's new Penal Code came into effect today 29 June 2015, despite wide expectation that government would delay implementation of the law

No Sábado dia 20 de Junho, os Serviços de Investigação Criminal (SIC) e a Polícia Nacional prenderam e encarceraram treze jovens activistas políticos e defensores de direitos humanos, numa residência onde discutiam questões políticas relacionadas com o estado da democracia em Angola. Depois de serem presos cada um deles foi levado para a sua residência algemados e a polícia fez buscas e confiscou equipamento informático e documentos, nomeadamente; computadores, máquinas fotográficas, agendas pessoais, revistas, documentos vários e cartões de recarga telefónica que encontraram. Muitos destes equipamentos e documentos são pertença de membros da família. A operação policial aconteceu sem qualquer “mandado de prisão ou de busca” e muitas vezes a polícia armada usou violência para entrar nas residências.

On 10 and 11 June 2015 CSPRI trained students and staff at the Universidade Edouardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo.

On 10 and 11 June 2015 CSPRI trained students and staff at the Universidade Edouardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo.

Outgoing Nigerian administration passes groundbreaking Administration of Criminal Justice Act

Described by experts as progressive, the ACJ Act covers the criminal process from arrest through bail, trial, conviction and sentencing, costs, compensation, damages and restitution as well as appeals.

On 20-22 May 2015 CSPRI hosted a workshop with partners from across Africa to discuss indicators for pre-trial justice in Africa.

On 18 and 19 May 2015, CSPRI hosted a seminar in Cape Town with experts in constitutional law and criminal procedure law from Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia.

For most development issues, indicators are adopted both to measure progress and to galvanise action. For example, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which ranged from halving extreme poverty rates to providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015 – formed a blueprint which was agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions, and succeeded in galvanising unprecedented efforts toward meeting the needs of the world’s poorest.

The Government of South Africa is hosting the fourth expert group meeting for the revision of these rules from 2-5 March 2015. Lukas Muntingh of CSPRI is attending as an independent observer.

Lukas Muntingh has testified on the position of St. Alban's prison within the South African Department of Correctional Services in the civil lawsuit brought by 231 inmates from St Albans prison, which resumed in the Port Elizabeth High Court on 2 February 2015.

Mozambique promulgates new Penal Code

Constitutional amendments of 1990 and 2004 meant that the Criminal Code of 1886 no longer was in line with the political, social, cultural and economic reality of Mozambique. This revision of the of Criminal Code is intended to ensure the enjoyment of rights and freedoms of citizens.

Lukas Muntingh's discussion of South Africa's failures in the in the internation human rights system was published on Thought Leader, a leading online opinion forum, in October 2014.

Mozambique Pre-trial Detention Audit results launched

Results of an audit of pre-trial detention in Mozambique, carried out by Liga Moçambicana dos Direitos Humanos (the Mozambique Human Rights League) and CSPRI at the Community Law Centre of the University of the Western Cape, were presented at a seminar on 11 and 12 September 2014 in Maputo.

Mozambique Pre-trial Detention Audit results launched in Maputo

Results of an audit of pre-trial detention in Mozambique, carried out by Liga Moçambicana dos Direitos Humanos (the Mozambique Human Rights League) and CSPRI at the Community Law Centre of the University of the Western Cape, were presented at a seminar on 11 and 12 September 2014 in Maputo.

The aim of the fourth workshop in South Africa was to consult on the draft Plan of Action developed during the third consultations, and obtain buy-in from key represented stakeholders, while in Burundi the fourth workshop was focussed on preparing for reporting in the upcoming review of Burundi by the UN Committee against Torture. The seminars took place 8-9 on July 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa and 18-20 August 2014 in Bujumbura, Burundi.

Gwenaelle Dereymaeker presented a paper entitled "When civil damages replace prosecutions for violence committed by law enforcement officials: effective accountability or de facto impunity?" at the Fifth International Conference: National and International Perspectives on Crime Reduction and Criminal Justice, held in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 14 and 15 August 2014.

Jean Redpath presented a paper on remand detention trends in South Africa at the Fifth International Conference: National and International Perspectives on Crime Reduction and Criminal Justice, held in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 14 and 15 August 2014.

Training of members of organisations working with victims of torture in Mozambique

This took place at the office of the Human Rights League, on 1 August 2014, at the the Hotel Afrin on 6 and 7 August 2014.

Training of Officials of Mozambique's National Correctional Service

This took place on 29 July 2014, at the Penitenciaria Provincial Sul de Machava, which is the old Central Prison. Officials from the Correctional Services were trained on international law relating to the prevention of torture.

A discussion meeting on measuring criminal justice and criminal justice interventions took place in Dakar, Senegal, on 10 and 11 June 2014. Participants provided input on the ways in which measurement is occurring in the African context.

CSPRI-PPJA in partnership with the Mozambican Institute of Legal Aid (Insituto Patrocinio Assistencia Juridica, IPAJ) held a wokshop on 21 and 22 May 2014 to promote two new international soft law instruments on access to justice and pre-trial detention in Africa.

Jean Redpath gave evidence at the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Police Inefficiency and a Breakdown in Relations between the South African Police Service and and the Community in Khayelitsha in May 2014 regarding the relative allocation of police human resources among police stations in the Western Cape.

Malawi works toward implementing custody time limits

Malawi's Constitution and amended Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code provide for time limits applicable to various stages of the criminal justice process, after which an accused person is no longer lawfully detained.

Mãos Livres prepares for Angola's first pre-trial audit

In mid-November 2013 members of the Angolan NGO Mãos Livres carried out detailed discussion and training on how best to conduct a pre-trial audit in Angola.

The purpose of the third workshop was to launch the final version of the DIPs in all A5I target countries. This took place on 13-14 November 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa and 20-21 November 2013 in Bujumbura, Burundi.