Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh — South Africa

In their own words 

"International criminal justice and the fight against impunity is a concern for all nations. In 2017 South Africa commemorates 21 years of the South African Constitution which stands in stark contrast to the international justice developments in this country over recent years. This includes the refusal to arrest   President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan for whom there are two ICC arrest warrants, to the missteps of South Africa’s unsuccessful attempts to withdraw from the ICC. Despite encouragement from the African Union, Burundi is the only African country which is withdrawing from the ICC. South Africa and Gambia for very different reasons have reversed their positions. Most encouraging of all is the recent vote by the Zambian people who have indicated their overwhelming desire for Zambia to remain a member of the ICC."

Organization: Southern Africa Litigation Center (SALC)

Location: SALC is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and operates in 11 Southern African countries including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mission: SALC mission is to strengthening human rights and protect the rule of law in Southern Africa through strategic litigation in domestic courts, training, advocacy and the facilitation of legal networks. SALC’s model is to work in conjunction with local organisations and domestic lawyers on public interest cases focussing on human rights or the rule of law. While SALC aims primarily to provide support on a case-by-case basis, its objectives also include the provision of training and the facilitation of legal networks within the region as well as providing local civil society organisations with legal advice and advocacy support. SALC has over the years developed strong partnerships with local organisations and lawyers who form an important part of SALC’s ability to operate regionally. 

Vision: In Southern Africa there are few established non-governmental regional initiatives which address serious human rights and rule of law challenges over multiple Southern African countries in a strategic and concerted way. It was in recognition of this absence and in appreciation of the importance of strategic litigation that SALC was originally established. SALC has  not only been working to advance and promote specific human rights but also to enhance the quality of jurisprudence, the judicial systems, the rule of law and consequently the quality of justice in the Southern African region for 12 years.  SALC was founded in 2005 as a regional organisation with a mandate to focus on human rights and rule of law issues and cases.