The African Union (AU) has taken a monumental step towards protecting the right to nationality in Africa. At the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, the new Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights was adopted, addressing the critical issue of statelessness. This historic move fills a crucial gap in the African Charter, ensuring the eradication of statelessness. Byrony Fox explores the significance of this Protocol and its impact on Human Rights in the region.

In this week’s post, Lindo Hadebe discusses the impeachment cases of two prominent South African judges. He observes that the impeachment signifies a pivotal moment in South Africa’s democracy. Thus, by addressing misconduct within the judiciary, South Africa took a significant step toward reinforcing the principles of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. Despite the challenges inherent in the impeachment process, marked by prolonged legal battles, the impeachment reaffirmed the state’s commitment to upholding democratic values and preserving public trust in the judiciary’s integrity

Ozioma V. Nwadike discusses the dilemma of parallel party primaries in Nigeria and argues that conflicting winners undermine the electoral process’ legitimacy, leading to a lack of trust in the system and elected representatives.

This week’s post explores the concept of citizenship within the South African context, drawing upon the principle of Ubuntu. Through an analysis of the legal framework and current significant cases, the author highlights the disconnect between Constitutional ideals and their real-world application, especially concerning the acquisition of citizenship by non-citizens. In light of this, the author proposes a revaluation of citizenship through the lens of Ubuntu, advocating for more flexible and inclusive pathways to citizenship.

This blog post sheds light on President Sall's controversial decision to indefinitely postpone Senegal's presidential elections. Initially slated for February 25, 2024, the elections have been enveloped in uncertainty and concern following this unexpected move.

This article examines citizenship complexities in South Africa, centering on individuals born to foreign parents. It offers a critical analysis of s 4(3) of the Citizenship Act, asserting that the current provision, requiring individuals to wait until 18 for citizenship, is deserving of scrutiny. The author proposes a re-evaluation of this legal framework to foster greater inclusivity and equity. It

In this week’s post, the author examines the Constitutional Court’s decision in Thubakgale v Ekhurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and highlights five analytical reasoning defects in the judgment.

The Kenyan Sign Language Bill 2023 was designed to integrate sign language into judicial, educational, and public settings. In this week’s blog post, Ann Haret Chepkemoi reviews essential proposals made in the Bill and discusses how it will break down barriers and empower the deaf community.

In a groundbreaking decision on September 8, 2023, Kenya's Supreme Court overturned rulings from lower courts that prioritised public interest over the "best interests of the child" principle. In this blog post, Joshua Nyawa discusses the significance of this judgement which redefined cases involving children accused of criminal offenses, emphasising the best interest of the child over mere public curiosity.

Education is a fundamental human right and many States have made a commitment to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (see the Agenda 2030 on Education). Nevertheless, achieving this goal of granting everyone, equal access to a high-quality education regardless of their gender, race, and abilities remains a challenge. In this article, Tiffany examines some of the challenges faced by Kenyan disabled children in accessing education, and how the State has attempted to move its legal machinery to ensure the right is realised.

With the upcoming 2024 South African elections on the horizon, this week's post delves into the critical role of elections in holding the executive accountable. Shadi Maganoe examines the stance of South African courts regarding the challenges that emerged within the electoral system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, Ghana's Supreme Court declared the Imposition of Restrictions Act (IRA) 2020 unconstitutional, merely three years after its enactment. This post takes a closer look at the IRA's prior controversies and highlights the key aspects of the Court's decision that substantiated earlier concerns, ultimately leading to the Act’s repeal.

Africa has witnessed a series of coup d'états in recent years. Ben Nyabira explores potential factors that might be fueling this persistent challenge. Drawing from recent coup events, Nyabira suggests that a major factor is widespread dissatisfaction with electoral democracy, as elections have failed to effectively advance the cause of democracy in certain countries where coups have occurred.

It was Sharma Robin who said words can inspire, and words can destroy, choose your words carefully. The power of words within our communities and legal spaces can never be understated. In this article, Felicity critically analyzes the use of the word ‘illegal foreigner’ within the South African legislative framework. She argues that the term holds a criminal undertone that can fuel stigmatisation, discrimination, and ultimately results in the violation of people’s human rights. Felicity advocates for the amendment of the Immigration Act .

In this week’s post, Dr. Hobden tackles an ongoing situation on Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP). The ZEP is a special permit allocated to undocumented Zimbabwean migrants to legalize their stay in South Africa. In a way, she is persuaded that the ZEP is revelatory of the boundaries of citizenship in South Africa. She argues that the ZEP issue demonstrates SA’s overtly rigid stance towards access to citizenship within the Republic.