Author: Martin Akuma
Posted: 3 March, 2026 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Selamawit Tsegaye Lulseged | Tags: accountability gap, AU-CEVAWG, conflict-related sexual violence, CRSV, customary international law, enforced sterilisation, forced abortion, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, forced prostitution, humanitarian law, international human rights, legal standards, rape, regional human rights mechanisms, Sexual and Gender Based violence, sexual slavery, sgbv, systemic failures, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) | Author: Selamawit Tsegaye LulsegedInternational Human Rights Professional Introduction Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) remains one of the most serious yet under reported and prosecuted violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The term “Conflict-Related Sexual Violence” refers…
The South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ), Gauteng region, held its Student Mentorship Programme Graduation Ceremony on 29 November 2025 at the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting Road Campus. At the ceremony, mentees enjoyed the presence and support of their mentors and families, including a special attendance by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Charles Maimela, and the Judge President of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, Sheila Segopotje Mphahlele, and Constitutional Court Judge Zukisa Tshiqi. Candidate of the mentorship programme, Bonke Msibi, a law student at the University of Witwatersrand shared her…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has made key appointments in the following offices: The National Prosecuting Authority, the Public Prosecutors’ Office, and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). President Ramaphosa has, in terms of s 179(1)(a) of the Constitution, read with s 10 of the National Prosecuting Authority Act 32 of 1998, decided to appoint Advocate Jan Lekgoa Mothibi, effective from 1 February 2026, as the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). Mr Mothibi was head of the SIU. He has previously served in various public and private sector roles managing legal, compliance, and risk management operations, including as Head of Corporate Legal…
The Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) held its tenth anniversary and fundraising dinner on 22 November 2025 in Johannesburg. The event was attended by some members of the judiciary and legal profession from various countries, including Constitutional Court Judge Zukisa Tshiqi, Judge President of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Courts, Segopotje Sheila Mphahlele, Chairperson of Advocates for Transformation, Myron Dewrance, as well as the families of the late Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro and Desiree Finca, the first black woman admitted as an attorney in South Africa. In her welcoming speech, Board Chairperson Elizabeth Adu said that…
The Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) national Imbizo’s campaign will continue in 2026. In 2025, the LPFF, in collaboration with the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and the Legal Practitioners Indemnity Insurance Fund NPC (LPIIF), held a series of national Imbizos across the country. The campaign aimed to ensure that South Africans understood how to report dishonest legal practitioners and how to claim compensation when their money or property had been stolen or misused. The LPFF said that while traveling across the country to host these informative sessions, a clear message emerged. The Fund added that the sessions often developed into…
Posted: 11 February, 2026 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: access, accountability, AI registers, algorithmic bias, Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) framework, automated social protection, data exchange platforms, Democratic Legitimacy, digital identity systems, Digital Public Infrastructure, digital service delivery, digital transformation, DPI, e-government, government reform, inclusion, oversight, public participation, Public Trust, transparency | Author: Hlengiwe DubeSenior digital rights and policy expert Abstract Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is rapidly being deployed worldwide, yet its governance is a significant blind spot in open government reform. While governments focus on digital service delivery, the underlying systems that determine access, inclusion,…
The voice of the child was one of the key topics of discussion at the 12th Annual Family Law Conference hosted by Clarks Attorneys. The conference was held in Johannesburg from 30 to 31 October 2025. The conference was attended by judges, legal practitioners, social workers and psychologists. Welcome address In her welcome address, Director of Clarks Attorneys, Beverley Clark, welcomed delegates to the conference, and said that there was an important topic of discussion at the conference, namely, the voice of the child. ‘I am strongly of the view that in adversarial family law matters, as opposed to public…
The delegates at the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges Conference. The 14th World Conference was held in Nairobi, under the overarching theme: ‘Protecting the Integrity of Refugee and Migration Systems.’ The International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) convened its 14th World Conference in Nairobi from 17 to 19 November 2025, under the overarching theme: ‘Protecting the Integrity of Refugee and Migration Systems.’ The conference brought together over 200 judges, policymakers, academics, and experts from 40 countries, serving as a global platform for exchanging knowledge, harmonising jurisprudence, and strengthening judicial independence in the field of migration and…
The Black Conveyancers Association (BCA) celebrated their 20th anniversary on 24 October 2025, where the organisation also revealed their new logo. The event kicked off with a summit in the morning, followed by a gala dinner in the evening. BCA members were joined by members of sister organisations, such as the Black Lawyers Association (BLA), and special guests. BCA founding member Phumzile Phala, who delivered a message from Johann Appies, a founding member and the chairperson at the time of the BCA’s formation. Ms Phala said that two decades is no small achievement. She added that the milestone is a…
Posted: 28 January, 2026 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: Access to Information, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and sustainable development, data protection authorities, democratic governance, digital age, digital infrastructure, Digital Transformation Strategy For Africa, dignity, e-government systems, freedom of expression, Guidelines for Integrating Data Provisions into Protocols on Digital Trade, human dignity, international human rights framework, International Privacy Day, Malabo Convention, private life, public participation, The Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa | Author: Hlengiwe DubeSenior digital rights and policy expert Each year, International Privacy Day…