News

The New Times reports that The Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye, told the newspaper in a telephone interview that this step finally means that Rwandans can now be fully governed by the laws that they have made themselves. The said laws were enacted between 1885 and 1962, when Rwanda obtained independence from Belgium.

The Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) in Kenya on 12 March 2019 issued practice directions on how to handle the offence of touting. This offence was among the many offences identified as petty and was the subject of extensive stakeholder engagement to have it decriminalised. The Office of the DPP conducted a further research ,and paid visits to select remand facilities in Kenya in partnership with ICJ Kenya and other stakeholders. The findings of the research informed the decision by the DPP to issue practice directions on how to deal with the offence of touting.

On 20 February 2019 a group of non-governmental organisations submitted a request to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and to the Ombudsman to take a position on the right of prisoners to vote.

The Equality Court sitting in Cape Town has made a declaration of unfair discrimination, in the allocation of police resources in the Western Cape. The evidence of ACJR researcher Jean Redpath assisted the court in reaching this conclusion.

Across Africa, many people, especially the poor and other disadvantaged groups, are arrested and even detained for the transgression of minor offences, such as loitering, being a ‘rogue and vagabond’, use of abusive language, disorderly behaviour, begging, public insult and being idle. Many of these offences date back to the colonial-era. The Campaign on the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences in Africa has as its aim reform in law, policy and practice that would address the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of these laws and by-laws and their enforcement.

It remains the case that too many people, especially the poor and other disadvantaged groups, are arrested and even detained for the transgression of minor offences, such as loitering, being a ‘rogue and vagabond’, use of abusive language, disorderly behaviour, public insult and being idle. Many of these offences date back to the colonial-era. The 12 partner organisations of the campaign on the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences in Africa have as their collective aim reform in law, policy and practice that would address the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of these laws and by-laws and their enforcement.

In Mozambique the courts close for 60 days from December until February for the ‘judicial vacation’ (férias judiciais). For emergency matters, shifts are arranged by the Supreme Court only at the court of first instance as regulated by articles 27 and 28 of Law 24/2007. At the moment there is a proposal before the First Commission of Parliament to revise this system and reduce the duration of the holidays to 30 days.

Em Moçambique, os tribunais fecham por 60 dias, entre Dezembro e Fevereiro para as férias judiciais. Por casos de emergência, turnos são organizados pelo Tribunal Supremo apenas nos tribunais de primeira instância, como regulados pelos Artigos 27 e 28 da Lei n. 24/2007. Actualmente uma proposta está na I Comissão da Assembleia da República para reduzir a duração das férias judiciais para 30 dias.