As ‘moral Covid19’ infects Namibia, even legal profession touched by ‘Fishrot’ bribery scandal
The ‘Fishrot’ corruption scandal engulfing Namibia seems set to choke the country’s legal profession as well: while the Law Society of Namibia tries to access the records of one of its prominent members, suspected of being involved in the scandal and to have used his...
‘Deplorable conduct’ from chambers of Malawi’s AG – judge
In Their Own Words: Read judgment in Mponda v President Judge Zione Ntaba, High Court, Malawi This case dealt with an application by four law students who challenged the validity of Malawi’s Covid-19-related restrictions and asked that these restrictions, and the...
Costs order a lesson about ‘frivolous’ Covid-19 claims – labour court
The first case testing whether sufficient protection was available for medical staff working on the front line against the coronavirus in South Africa, has resulted in an ignominious conclusion for the union that brought the legal action. Read judgment The National...
Controversial Lesotho PM prorogues parliament, gets taken to court
Lesotho’s Prime Minister, Tom Thabane, has signed papers suspending parliament for three months. He cited the coronavirus pandemic to explain his decision. Ironically, a full-on legal application contesting the validity of his COVID-19-based decision was heard in a...
Government sets up a massive national system using mobile phones to track and trace COVID-19 suspects
The South African government has introduced new, wide-reaching regulations that will allow it to track the whereabouts of anyone on a national database that is being developed, and that will list people who have come into contact with individuals confirmed to be...
New government regulations allow mourners to cross provincial borders for funerals – but only under strict conditions
Strict Government COVID-19 regulations have been slightly relaxed to allow bereaved family members to cross provincial boundaries if this is necessary to attend a funeral. The new regulations, contained in today’s official Government Gazette, are clearly a response to...
Human rights fightback as security forces take abusive action under cover of COVID-19 regulations
As the security forces of some African countries take abusive action against people under cover of COVID-19 lockdown regulations, human rights groups have begun to fight back. Prompted by complaints of serious constitutional rights' violations – beatings, torture and...
No protection in Zim for pangolin, alleged trigger of world’s coronavirus pandemic
Scientists increasingly believe that pangolin meat might have been part of the trigger for the deadly coronavirus. In this case the pangolin would have been bought in a typical Chinese market where illegally obtained wildlife has been an everyday element. But though...
Repressive policing law: scathing judgment by Uganda’s constitutional court
One of Uganda’s most contentious laws has come under fire by that country’s constitutional court. A particularly repressive section giving the police power to prohibit all public gatherings and protest has been declared unconstitutional and the court’s majority took...
Sentencing pregnant women in Malawi – judge lays down the law
The case of a heavily pregnant woman accused of stealing from other women at a shopping centre has given one of Malawi’s judges the chance to re-state the law on sentencing first offenders and those who are pregnant. The judge quoted international law on the subject,...