Updates Archives
Campaign partner present policy paper at First African Regional Conference on Law Enforcement and Public Health
In December of 2024, APCOF, Freedoms Collective Trust and the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights presented a paper titled “Decriminalising public space governance: the role
Decriminalization of attempted suicide: A watershed moment in Kenya
ICJ-Kenya: Nairobi, KENYA – This past week, High Court Judge, Justice Lawrence Mugambi declared Section 226 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes attempted Suicide unconstitutional.
The legacy of the British legal system continues to inflict misery in Sierra Leone
Mara Kardas-Nelson writes for The Nation: Decades after independence, colonial-era laws have created a mass-incarceration crisis in Sierra Leone as poor citizens are thrown into
Press Release: Amicus Brief Filed In Iowa Supreme Court Low-Income Legal Fees Case
FFJC: Des Moines, Iowa — Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court allowed the ACLU of Iowa, the Fines and Fees Justice Center, and Public Justice to
Malawi High Court to consider challenge of criminal defamation
SALC: Lilongwe, Malawi – On 17 December 20204, the Malawi High Court will consider a challenge to the offence of criminal defamation under section 200 of
Hardknock life for sex workers
SALC: Despite operating in a country where prostitution is not a crime, Malawian sex workers continue to face rampant abuse and exploitation. What is a
Proposition 36: A step backward for justice in California
Stricter Penalties for Theft and Drug Offenses Target Vulnerable Populations, Worsening Homelessness and Addiction Invisible People: Last September, Donald Trump promised that, if reelected, “We will
Sub-national governance and the plight of women working in public spaces
Across the world and in Africa, women make up the majority of workers in the informal economy – mostly because of limited education, high levels
ECOWAS Court declares Sierra Leone’s loitering laws discriminatory and orders repeal
AdvocAid: Freetown, 7 November 2024: In a landmark judgment, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice has ruled in favour
Understanding the link between gender identity and homelessness
Invisible People: Why transgender individuals face higher risks of homelessness and how discrimination contributes to the growing crisis A growing number of gender nonconforming and
Launch of Practitioners’ Guide on the Decriminalisation of Poverty and Status
ICwS: The Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) and its partners, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Commonwealth Secretariat launched a new Practitioner’s Guide on the decriminalisation of poverty
A human rights-based approach to criminal law: Asia and Caribbean regional consultation
ICwS: On 9 and 10 September 2024, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) and its partners, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec), held
Africa Litigation Surgery: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Regimes
ICJ-Kenya: NAIROBI, Kenya – The Africa Litigation Surgery Conference kicked off in earnest with delegates from across the continent converging in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Under
Bangladesh: End punitive mass arrests and arbitrary detention of student leaders and protesters
Amnesty International: Responding to reports of the arrest and detention of student leaders, protest participants and members of opposition parties following the quota-reform protests, with
Malawi High Court upholds protection of undocumented immigrants from arbitrary and indefinite detention
SALC: 30 July 2024, Blantyre – Yesterday, the Mzuzu High Court ordered that 30 days should be the reasonable time envisaged under the Immigration Act within which deportation
UN states: Decriminalization of LGBTQ+ people saves lives
Joint Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima As courts and parliaments in a number of countries are
US: Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunction: San Francisco Resumes Homeless Sweeps
Invisible People: San Francisco officials can begin conducting homeless sweeps again after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals partially withdrew a preliminary injunction against the city
Malawi: Migrant children should be protected from detention
SALC & CHREAA: Although the Constitution of Malawi provides for the protection of all children including migrant children, the continuous detention of these migrant minors
Poverty a criminal offence in Malawi
SALC & CHREAA: Despite being a constitutional democracy, local authorities in Malawi continue to perpetuate the colonial legacy by criminalising poverty and inequality through the
National Homelessness Law Center Condemns Supreme Court Decision, Demands Real Solutions to Homelessness
NHLC: In a profoundly disappointing ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today decided that the US Constitution does not protect homeless people against cruel and unusual
UN Experts: Governments must urgently scrap unfair laws criminalising homelessness and poverty
GENEVA (25 June 2024) – UN human rights experts have called on governments to scrap “cruel and counterproductive” laws that are leading to people living in homelessness
Ambiguous Laws and Freedom of Expression in Africa
SALC: Freedom of expression, a fundamental right crucial for open dialogue, critical thinking, and societal progress, is under threat in Africa due to outdated and
The truth behind Parliamentarians Enacting Conservative laws
SALC: In the last year, we have seen Parliaments in Africa enact laws that contradict court rulings in Namibia and Kenya. In Uganda, and Ghana, new laws go as far
A human rights-based approach to criminal law: Africa regional consultation
ICwS & ICJ: On 5 and 6 June 2024, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) and its partners, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Commonwealth
Campaign co-hosts UN CCPCJ side event on fines and fees
ILF: Around the world, criminal justice systems disproportionately penalize people who are poor, including through fines and fees. On May 15, 2024 on the sidelines
To comply or not to comply is not the question
SALC: Over the past five years, the highest courts in Namibia and Botswana have made significant decisions in favour of minority groups’ human rights through
Moldova: New definition of high treason passed by parliament threatens freedom of expression
Amnesty International: Reacting to news that Moldova’s parliament has passed amendments to the country’s Criminal Code which redefine “high treason,” Veaceslav Tofan, Executive Director of
Alternative justice system solution to backlog of cases
ICJ-Kenya: Nakuru, Kenya – Since time immemorial, Kenya’s culturally rich communities proudly championed and practiced their own forms of justice that was tethered in basic
Malawi: Parliament urged to revamp outdated Penal Code
Peter Dimba, chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee in Parliament, has called for a thorough revision of the Penal Code, citing its numerous inconsistencies with
Parliament ‘sits on’ rogue, vagabond court order
SALC: Some lawmakers have lamented [Malawian] Parliament’s delays to facilitate the review of Section 184 of the Penal Code, which provides for the offence of
Incarceration Nations Network hosts 2nd edition of the Global Freedom Fellowship in South Africa
INN: In March 2024, the 2nd Annual Global Freedom Fellowship, organized by Incarceration Nations Network, brought together 16 formerly incarcerated fellows from 13 countries for
Sierra Leone’s Loitering Laws challenged at ECOWAS Court
Two years after it was filed at the regional court, a case challenging Sierra Leone’s laws on loitering has had its first day before judges
Morocco: investigating suicide and self-harm
Prison Insider: Research findings and prevention work in collaboration with the prison administration Suicide and self-harm are major concerns in prisons around the world, with
Judicial Interference: A Test of Principles, Integrity and Power
SALC: In the centre of Southern Africa, we find one of the region’s most stable nations – Botswana. Having dominated the top spot in Africa
For daring to call for reform of the monarchy, Thai protesters face over a decade in prison
Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Arnon Nampa dared to call for reform of the Thai monarchy at a 2020 protest. They were arrested, charged, put
Advocate driving decriminalisation of petty offences campaign
Kenya: Majority of remandees are held for minor crimes ranging from being idle, disorderly, littering, begging, urinating in public, and hawking. This is the reason
East and Southern Africa: Journalists targeted amid ongoing crackdown on media
Amnesty International: Authorities across East and Southern Africa continued to impose severe restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom over the
Illegal to Sleep: Grants Pass’ Cruel War on Homelessness
Invisible People: In this compelling documentary, Invisible People traveled to Grants Pass, Oregon, a picturesque city of about 40,000 residents, which is now at the
Thailand: Drop groundless charges against youth activists
Amnesty International: Two young Thai activists were today indicted on ‘groundless’ royal defamation and computer crime charges, Amnesty International has said. Niraphorn “Bie” Onnkhaow, an
Campaign submits statement at 79th ACHPR session
In April 2024, the Dullah Omar Institute submitted a written statement on behalf of the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status in response to the
US Supreme Court hears homeless criminalization case
NHLC: This past Monday [April 22, 2024], the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Johnson v. Grants Pass, a case about whether communities can make it
Five takeaways from #CSW68 on the criminalisation of women linked to poverty
One week after International Women’s Day, a coalition of organisations and experts convened to address the rising trend of women’s criminalisation driven by poverty in
Campaign members call for implementation of Luanda Guidelines
April 25 is Africa Pretrial Detention Day, aimed at drawing attention to the excessive use of pretrial detention and the need for urgent reform across
Uganda: Court fails to repeal callous anti-LGBTI law, puts people at risk
Amnesty International: Responding to a decision by Uganda’s Constitutional Court to only revoke parts of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 (AHA), a law which prompted rising
De-securitizing and decriminalising migration and poverty
Advocating for a non-discriminatory approach in European policies ASF, Prison Insider, FEANTSA and European Alternatives participated in a workshop to discuss how to advocate for
Malawian Court sets new date for disorderly conduct case
Malawi: The High Court sitting in Blantyre yesterday adjourned to June 6 2024 the case in which people who were begging in the city are
Botswana High Court sets a date for constitutional challenge on ‘alarming publications’ provision
SALC: After a year of postponements and delays, the High Court of Botswana has set 15 May 2024 as the date to hear the constitutional
Florida [USA] passes public camping ban as homelessness increases
Invisible People: Florida state lawmakers approved a bill that prohibits camping on public property at a time when homelessness has increased by more than 8%
Switzerland: Court decision on ethnic profiling case sends clear message on racial discrimination
Amnesty International: Following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Wa Baile v Switzerland, Amnesty International Switzerland’s Legal Advisor Alicia Giraudel,
Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting: decriminalise poverty and status
ICwS & ICJ: On 7 March 2024, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) presented its joint project on the decriminalisation of poverty and status to