1. In February 2007 the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation was contracted by government to carry out a study on the violent nature of crime in South Africa. The study involved the production of six reports over…
The Department of Justice yesterday published the names of 149 convicted persons who have been recommended for a presidential pardon in terms of the Special Dispensation created by former President Mbeki in 2007. The crimes for which the offenders sought…
Violence in society is like a crack in a mirror. The crack distorts the image of us, and we become ambiguous. Un-unified. Like the mirror's crack, violence destroys the fabric that unites people, thus eliminating the possibility of togetherness. South…
This case concerns the power of the President to grant pardon under section 84(2)(j) of the Constitution to people who claim that they were convicted of offences which they committed with a political motive. Section 84(2)(j) provides that the President…
Take the following scenario. One night a police vehicle patrol arrives at the scene of a hijacking in progress. The owner is still in the vehicle. On seeing the police the driver of the hijacker's back-up car drives off, leaving…
Torture is a criminal offence, prohibited under various international treaties – but not under South African law, which only allows victims to lay charges of assault and grievous body harm. The South African No Torture Consortium (SANToC) is lobbying for…