All Press Releases
18 May 2017
Last week states from around the world gathered to review South Africa on its human rights situation. This process is called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and all states are reviewed once every 5 years by their fellow states. The recommendations made by states are aimed at improving the human rights situation on the ground. Although every state has only 2 or 3 recommendations, this year 12...
18 May 2017
Organisations in the gender-based violence sector were shocked to learn that the Department of Justice intends to investigate the possibility of reducing resources provided to sexual offences courts. This announcement was made during the Deputy Minister of Justice’s keynote address at the launch of the Thembalethu Sexual Offences Court in George, on 15 May 2017.
Sexual...
28 April 2017
PRESS RELEASE
28 April 2017
Contacts: Leeanne Torpey (ltorpey [at] idcoaltion [dot] org +61 404146117) Junita Calder (jcalder [at] idcoalition [dot] org)
JOHANNESBURG: An international report on Alternatives to Immigration Detention in Africa will be launched in Johannesburg today, 11am at Constitution Hill, marking Freedom Day.
The International Detention Coalition (IDC) report...
20 April 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is deeply concerned by the excessive use of force and intimidation by private security officers of BOSASA Group against immigrant detainees held at the Lindela Repatriation Centre. BOSASA Group is a private company, contracted to manage the centre.
We are also stunned to hear that some of the detainees who complained about the violence have been arrested on...
10 April 2017
The Grookraal matter will be heard in the Cape Town High Court tomorrow (11 April 2017). Lawyers for Human Rights (“LHR”) represents the broader Grootkraal Community which consists of the people who live and work on surrounding farms known as the Grootkraal Kombuys valley. The farm Grootkraal is right next to the Cango caves.
The Community does not live in Grootkraal, but has...
21 March 2017
Whilst South Africa marks Human Rights Day, and remembers the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre which resulted in the gunning down of 69 ordinary South Africans who protested against apartheid pass laws, Lawyers for Human Rights (‘LHR’) continues its struggle for human dignity and against impunity by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police (‘JMPD’) and the City of Johannesburg. On 22...
13 March 2017
13 March 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) will appear in the Constitutional Court tomorrow, Tuesday 14 March 2017, at 10:00am to challenge the constitutionality of the provisions of the Immigration Act relating to detention. This application was originally set down to be heard in November 2016 but was postponed at the request of the State whose counsel was unavailable....
8 March 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is greatly encouraged by Justice Mandisa Maya’s presidential nomination for head of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Justice Maya would be the first woman to hold this position in South African history, thereby striking a blow indeed against the gendered glass ceiling.
Gender parity on the Bench is part and parcel of the post-apartheid transformation of the...
1 March 2017
On 22 February 2017 Eastleigh Primary School in Edenvale, Gauteng, issued a letter to all foreign parents threatening to refuse their children access to education and to have children arrested if their papers are not in order.
Although the school has retracted the letter, it is important, particularly amidst xenophobic marches and increasing school admission refusals, to shed light on the...
20 February 2017
PRESS CONFERENCE – TUES, 21 FEB PRETORIA COMMUNITIES UNITED AGAINST XENOPHOBIA
DATE: Tuesday, 21 February
TIME: 11h00
VENUE: Lawyers for Human Rights, Kutlwanong Democracy Centre, 357 Visagie Street, Pretoria
On Sunday 19 February, the Gauteng Civic Association (GACA) convened a highly successful meeting of community organisations representing South African communities and...