Author: Martin Akuma
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng made a public apology on 9 June 2025, this was after the judge made news headlines for his remarks about black legal practitioners on national television. The remarks were made during the murder trial of the late soccer star, Senzo Meyiwa. During the court proceeding, Judge Mokgoatlheng read a message from advocate Charles Mnisi to the registrar, notifying the judge that he will not be present on 9 June 2025, due to the fact that he would be returning on 9 June 2025 from running the Comrades Marathon that took place on 8 June 2025 in KwaZulu-Natal.…
Posted: 5 June, 2025 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Kodisang Bokaba, Konanani Happy Raligilia, Rorisang Thage, Tendani Musekwa | Tags: African customary law, African People, ancestors, and traditional learning journey, City of Tshwane, Dlozi, Indigenous practices, initiation process, labour laws, medications and herbs, paid academic leave, progressive development, Sedimo, South Africa, special leave, spiritual calling, traditional healers, ukuthwasa, Vhadzimu | Konanani Raligilia Kodisang Bokaba Rorisang Thage Tendani Musekwa The City of Tshwane has recently approved a policy that provides special leave for employees who need to undergo ukuthwasa. Ideally, ukuthwasa is a process that involves the spiritual calling of people who…
The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) held their 24th annual Commonwealth Law Conference in Malta from 6 to 10 April 2025. Vice-President of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA), Joanne Anthony-Gooden attended the conference and compiled the following report. Family law symposium On Saturday, 5 April, a family law symposium was held and co-hosted by the CLA Family Law Committee and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and the Family Law Bar Association (FLBA). The family law symposium’s topic was ‘“Show me the money” – family law, trusts, recognition and enforcement’. During the first panel discussion, ‘Jurisdiction in family…
BUEA, Cameroon – May 30, 2025 — Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute’s visit to Buea, May 29 was marked by arranged displays of support and heavy security presence, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the Southern Cameroons.Upon arrival, PM Ngute was greeted by a crowd adorned in Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) uniforms, chanting slogans of unity. However, eyewitness reports said that many of these individuals were transported from Douala and compensated for their participation, casting doubt on the authenticity of the reception.The Prime Minister’s visit was characterized by an overwhelming security apparatus, including armed escorts and surveillance teams. Observers noted…
The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) notes with deep concern the recent media coverage, which states that over 500 cases involving the alleged theft of more than R 1,4 billion in trust funds by legal practitioners remain unprosecuted. This comes after media reports on the ‘Convicted defaulters and the sentences imposed’ list that was published by the Legal practitioners’ Fidelity Fund in March 2025. The list included the names of the legal practitioners who allegedly stole money from trust accounts. Media reports also included figures relating to the cases worked on by the Legal Practice Council (LPC) since its…
Posted: 16 May, 2025 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Rehim Baharu Elala | Tags: asylum seekers, civil war, debauchery, deportation, detention, Egypt, equality before the law, gender identity, homophobic nature, human rights, LGBTIQ community, LGBTQ refugees, Memorandum of Understanding, non-discrimination, refugee population, rights to privacy, same sex relationship, sexual orientation, torture, voluntary repatriation | Author: Rehim Baharu ElalaHuman rights attorney and women’s rights advocate The refugee population in Egypt has significantly increased following the eruption of the Sudanese civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023. Sudanese refugees and asylum…
Author and legal practitioner, Jason Brickhill, pointed out that access to justice serves as a vital bridge between the promises of the Constitution and people’s everyday lives. Mr Brickhill gave the keynote address at Probono.Org’s Annual Pro Bono Awards ceremony that was hosted by Norton Rose Fulbright on 20 February 2025 in Johannesburg. He told the recipients of the awards that the work they do is nothing short of life-sustaining for constitutional democracy and connects people to the Constitution, and turns paper promises into real-world rights. Mr Brickhill said: ‘We live in an age where it is fashionable to decry…
Posted: 6 May, 2025 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: AI, algorithmic curation, algorithms, Artificial intelligence, automated fact-checking tools, automated translation, biased news, ChatGPT, critical challenges, democracy, editorial decisions, ethical responsibilities, human rights, independent media, misinformation, multilingual content distribution, real-time content moderation, transformation, transparency, World Press Freedom Day | Author: Hlengiwe DubeCentre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria On 3 May 2025, the world observed World Press Freedom Day. This annual commemoration is a reminder of the important role that free, independent media plays in protecting democracy, transparency, and human rights. It is a day for…
Posted: 29 April, 2025 | Author: AfricLaw | Filed under: Mark Deng | Tags: fair trial, fundamental rights and freedoms, General Akol Koor Kuch, General Intelligence Bureau, house arrest, human rights violations, Morris Mabior Awikjok, National Security Service, nternal Security Bureau, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, public outcry, South Sudan, Transitional Constitution, treason, without a warrant | Author: Mark A.W. DengMelbourne Law School Summary This piece provides a critical analysis of General Akol Koor Kuch’s house arrest from a legal and constitutional perspective. It makes two principal arguments: 1) in placing General Akol under house arrest without having been formally charged…
Retired Judge Ntlupheko Yekiso, who passed away in February 2025, was honoured at an official memorial in Cape Town by members of the judiciary and legal practitioners. The Office of the Chief Justice described the late judge, the first black legal practitioner to open a practice in Cape Town, as a pioneer for the transformation of the legal profession. Director of the Legal Practice Council in the Western Cape, Caron Jeaven, reading a speech by Law Society of South Africa’s (LSSA) Ettienne Barnard, said it deserves to be mentioned that Judge Yekiso was one of those judges who made it…