This past Tuesday, Edwin Cameron appeared for the last time as a judge of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa. This final sitting of Justice Cameron ends an esteemed and much respected legal career which has seen him challenge the status quo, standing up for the rights of minorities and oppressed. Having … Read more
Despite the many years of arduous negotiations and the final Constitution initially being rejected by the Constitutional Court, the process of drafting South Africa’s Constitution is generally considered to have been an overwhelming success. It is often said that the key to effective change is the active participation of the parties involved, and in this … Read more
South Africa’s Constitution is lauded as one of the most democratic in the world, but it took years of painstaking negotiations to deliver. In December 1991 the first Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) was held at the World Trade Centre in Johannesburg. The second CODESA, which would take place just a few short … Read more
As we celebrate Human Rights Day tomorrow, it seems an appropriate time to examine the very document that forms the core of South Africa’s democracy, and the protection of its citizens, our Constitution. The Constitution of South Africa is currently in its fourth incarnation. The previous three versions were adopted in 1910, 1961 and 1983 … Read more