Programme News
29 June 2017
(Press release)
29 June 2017
The Constitutional Court handed down a historic decision today in the matter of Lawyers for Human Rights v. Minister of Home Affairs and others; the Court unanimously found that sections 34(1)(b) and (d) of the Immigration Act are inconsistent with the Constitution and therefore invalid. The Court ruled that the rights guaranteed in section 12 and 35 of the South African...
13 March 2017
(Press release)
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....
23 March 2016
(Press release)
On Sunday afternoon the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) offices in Parktown, Johannesburg were the target of a military-style raid. Those conducting the raid clearly knew what they were looking for: computers and other documentation relating to the programmatic work of the HSF were taken. The brazen, coordinated nature of the operation and its targeted, selective focus are sinister. So, too, is its...
11 February 2016
(Press release)
Press statement: African Civil Society Joins in Al-Bashir International Warrant Hearing
11 February 2016
African civil society organisations will participate in the Supreme Court of Appeal’s hearing of the Al-Bashir International Criminal Court warrant hearing this Friday 12 February 2016 in Bloemfontein.
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is representing two organisations,...
21 January 2016
(Press release)
LHR is an independent human rights organisation with a thirty-seven year track record of human rights activism and public interest litigation in South Africa. We offer human rights lawyers an exciting and challenging work environment covering a wide range of social justice issues.
LHR is inviting applications from law graduates with an interest in human rights law and public interest litigation...
21 January 2016
(Press release)
The Democracy Café, based at the Kutlwanong Democracy Centre in Pretoria Central, is looking for an experienced restaurant and events manager. The Kutlwanong Democracy Centre is a unique hub for civil society organisations in the capital. The restaurant serves quality meals and caters for events, conferences and meetings at the centre.
This position requires a dynamic person with...
25 November 2015
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights welcomes its latest victory, this time on behalf of dental assistants who have won the recognition of their profession after the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the application of the South African Dentist Association.
The South African Dental Association (SADA) turned to the SCA to challenge a high court order recognising the profession and detailing the scope of the...
20 November 2015
(News)
The high court in Pretoria reserved judgment in a legal challenge in which Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is questioning the constitutionality of sections of the Immigration Act which do not make provision for detainees to be brought before court in person to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.
The Immigration Act allows Home Affairs to arrest and detain a person it deems to be an...
12 November 2015
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights is pleased and encouraged by the conviction and sentencing of the eight former Daveyton police officers who dragged Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia behind a police van before assaulting him while in custody where he died.
Meshack Malele, Thamsamqa Mgema, Percy Jonathan Mnisi, Bongamusa Mdluli, Sipho Sydwell Ngobeni, Lungisa Gwababa, Bongani Kolisi and Linda Sololo were...
11 November 2015
(Press release)
Yesterday (Tuesday), the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard arguments regarding LHR’s constitutional challenge against the manner in which suspected undocumented foreigners are detained under Section 34 of the Immigration Act.
This challenge was filed in June 2014 after the introduction of the new immigration regulations and seeks to ensure court oversight of immigration detention, as...