Updates Archives

Promoting Health and Rights: Prioritising People in Detention in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
Upcoming online webinar on “Promoting Health and Rights: Prioritising People in Detention in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond” will be held Wednesday 8 March 2023

The nature and extent of institutionalisation of persons with disabilities in Africa: the Kenyan experience.
CAPMHK: Globally several attempts to deinstitutionalize mental health and promote self-autonomy, independent and communal living for persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities have happened. CAPMHK

“We must decriminalise poverty to achieve equal access to justice”
Last week the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London held a seminar at Marlborough House on the Decriminalisation of Poverty

Busting eight myths about sex work ahead of deadline for public comments on decriminalisation bill in South Africa
Sonke Gender Justice: As we approach the deadline to comment on the draft Criminal Law (Sexual Offences And Related Matters) Amendment Bill, which will see the

‘Is poverty criminalized in Peoria? A lawyer provides her take’ – Campaign in WCBU article
In the WCBU article ‘Is poverty criminalized in Peoria? A lawyer provides her take‘, Alexus McNally, a researcher from campaign partner, The International Legal Foundation,

South Africa invites for public comment on decriminalising of sex work
South Africa is poised to become the first African country to decriminalise sex work following the publication of an amendment to the country’s criminal law

The Cape Declaration adopted by consensus
One of the key outcomes of the Stellenbosch Convening, was the adoption by consensus of the Cape Declaration by participants of the Campaign’s Annual Convening

Ugandan Constitutional Court declares parts of the ‘Rogue and Vagabond’ Offence unconstitutional
Today, five justices of the Constitutional Court of Uganda (Frederick Egonda-Ntende, Elizabeth Musoke, Christopher Madrama Izama, Monica K Mugenyi, and Christopher Gashirabake JJCC) in a

South African Deputy Minister advocates for reform to ease prison overcrowding
South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Hon John Jeffery talks to SABC News in South Africa about criminal law and incarceration on the African continent,

The Djerba Declaration launched at Summit de la Francophonie side-event
On the 19 November 2022, francophone partners hosted a side-event, ‘Decriminalisation of poverty, status and activism: what role for the OIF?’, at the 18th Summit

APCOF addresses EU-AU Dialogue on behalf of Campaign
Campaign partner APCOF submits a statement on behalf of the Campaign, to the EU-AU Consultation with Civil Society. The statement calls on the EU-AU dialogue

Campaign submits statement at 73rd ACHPR session
APCOF submitted the below statement on behalf of the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status, in response to the report of the Special Rapporteur on

Reflections on Women Prison Conditions – ACHPR
At the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Louise Edwards, Director of Research and Programmes at APCOF gave the

Malawian High Court outlaws sweeping arrests
Article from Malawi Nation, Wed Nov 18, 2021: Last week, the Malawian High Court declared the police’s indiscriminate sweeping exercises unlawful and in violation of

Malawi High Court Declares Mass Arrests (Sweeping Exercises) Unconstitutional
Blantyre, 9 November 2022 – On 8 November 2022, the High Court of Malawi issued a judgment declaring the police’s indiscriminate practice of sweeping exercises

South African civil society issue statement ahead of UPR
On 16 November 2022, the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group examined South Africa’s human rights record for the fourth time.

The crime of being poor – images of human rights violations in prisons aim to spark rethink of incarceration
Former Constitutional Court judge and current inspecting judge of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), Edwin Cameron, was one of the speakers at the

Regional meeting on prison oversight mechanisms
On 27 and 28 October 2022 a large, multi-sectoral group of stakeholders from across Africa met in Johannesburg to consider urgent action to address cruel,

Exhibition: The Ties that Bind Us
On 27 October 2022, SALC co-hosted a photo exhibition entitled “The ties that bind us”. The exhibition looked at the conditions in detention accross Africa

PRI issues statements against criminalistion of women to UN working group
In October 2022, PRI responded to a call for input by the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, for its upcoming report

Campaign issues joint statement on colonial laws at the UN Human Rights Council
On 28 September, as part of its 51st session, the UN Human Rights Council held a panel discussion on the negative impact of colonial legacies

Special Report on Petty Offences covered in Nigerian media
Premium Times Nigeria run a special report entitled ‘Criminalisation of petty offences in Nigeria violates the poor‘ which heavily features campaign engagement with both the

Stellenbosch Conference closes with coalition’s draft Joint Declaration
From 27 to 29 September 2022, representatives from over 40 organisations from over 30 countries, gathered in Stellenbosch, South Africa, for the Campaign’s Annual Convening

Criminalization of Homelessness is Racially Discriminatory, Must be Abolished, Say UN Human Rights Experts
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND- The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva yesterday stated “it remains concerned at the increasing number of state and

Children caught using cannabis will no longer be criminally prosecuted
GroundUP reports: The Constitutional Court has ratified a High Court order declaring sections of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act as unconstitutional because it criminalises

Over 50 organisations to attend Annual Convening
From 27 to 29 September 2022, representatives from over 50 organisations from over 35 countries, will gather in Stellenbosch, South Africa, for the Campaign’s Annual

Understanding the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s Methods of Work
The short video provides an explanation on how the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s mechanism could play an important part on the advocacy work

Partners submit shadow report on racial injustice in the US
For the U.S. review by the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Miami Law Human Rights Clinic, National Homelessness Law Center, and

Economic right activity in check in Malawi
Due to economic challenges the country is sailing through, some people have resorted to doing business at a small-scale to earn a living. However, those

City of Cape Town to return belongings to homeless after agreement in court
City of Cape Town has been ordered by the Western Cape High Court in South Africa, to return the belongings of the homeless living around
Demystifying Petty Offences
K24’s Ian Wafula takes a look at Human rights violations in regards to petty offences, challenges and understanding your rights. Lorraine Ochiel (ICJ Kenya), Kimani
Kenya’s anti-gay laws lead to harassment, LGBT persons say, want change
By LYDIA MATATA, @lydiamatata. Activist and musician Joji Baro (George Barasa) hides his shoulder-length hair under a grey mavin. The 25 year-old likes to put
More petty offenders to be released after presidential pardon
By SIMON NDONGA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21 – More petty offenders are set to be released on Friday after President Uhuru Kenyatta pardoned 7,000 inmates
Freed petty offenders back in police custody
Two petty offenders released last week on Presidential pardon are back in police custody on suspicions of committing fresh crimes. The two — one from
President Kenyatta releases 7,000 petty offenders
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday made good his promise and released 7,000 petty offenders in what he said was a move to free up space
Sex workers trained as paralegals protect colleagues from police harassment
By LYDIA MATATA, @lydiamatata. Esther served a three-month jail sentence when she began sex work aged 16. Unable to produce any identification documents, she was
Hawkers Diaries: Tale of suffering and years of deceit
By JOSEPH MURAYA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 17 – It is survival of the fittest for the hundreds of hawkers operating within Nairobi – mostly those
Hawkers Diaries: I paid my way through college as a street vendor yet here I remain
By JOSEPH MURAYA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21- Before we started our interview with Samson Mwangi at his hawking base of operations, he was very categorical
Hawkers Diaries: I quit being a hawker after my friend was killed
By JOSEPH MURAYA, NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 – For three years Mbugua (not his real name) doubled as a street hawker in Nairobi and a
Kenyans living with mental illness get lost in the criminal justice system
By LYDIA MATATA. Samuel Macharia Njoroge, 42, refers to his earlier years as the dark ages. “This is a period that I faced a lot
Decriminalisation of Vagrancy Laws in Malawi
The goals of the project include law reform initiatives aimed at the decriminalisation and/or declassification of minor nuisance-related offences in Malawi and the region; and
Meeting with Hawkers
ICJ Kenya held a forum to engage with hawkers on the decriminalization and declassification of petty crimes. This was informed by their recent subjection to
Drama as Nairobi Hawker Ducks Under Matatu to Avoid Arrest by City Askaris
A Nairobi hawker on Monday opted to hide under a matatu to avoid arrest by City Inspectorate askaris. In a video doing the rounds on social
City hawker ducks under matatu to evade arrest by city askaris
By NAIROBI NEWS REPORTER A journalist has captured a heart melting moment when a woman hawking onions in the city centre dives under a matatu
KTN Documentary Exposes Nairobi Askari Violations
KTN News recently aired the a four part series of an investigative documentary on how the Nairobi County Government Askaris extort, arrest, harass, maim and inhumanely
Why is Nairobi County Government allowing ‘Kanjo’ askaris to get away with human rights abuses?
By Daisy Okoti. Kenya’s leading investigative journalists, Muhammed Ali and John Alan Namu recently unveiled a disturbing series of the inhumane treatment in which hawkers
Petty Offences
The Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action on Accelerating Prison and Penal Reform in Africa of 2003[1] endorsed recommendations calling for reducing the size of
Key Concepts of Petty Offences
Bail: The temporary release of an accused person from prison pending trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money be paid to the Court
Time to give street families a chance, not judge
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 2 – It is a tale of untold suffering when you have to live on a day-to-day basis with the normal life
Short Survey on Laws Criminalizing Petty Offences in National Jurisdictions across Africa
Dear Esteemed Colleagues, The Pan African Lawyers Union, in collaboration with a consortium of Civil Society Organisations*, is conducting a survey on criminalisation and penalisation
Arrests for petty offences
The ICCPR guarantees everyone the equal enjoyment of civil and political rights in the Covenant,[1] the right to liberty and security of person,[2] and not
SOUTH AFRICA: Police Target and Shuts Down Refugees Shops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihfRxJd2V0 By Jama Judah. “About 10 of us were supported by that shop,” he said. “We’re being fed by the community, through the mosque, but
Hawker shot dead by Nairobi City Council askari
By Cyrus Ombati. NAIROBI, KENYA: A hawker was Tuesday night shot dead and two others wounded in a confrontation with City Council askaris along Tom
Outdated vagrancy laws must go
ByLouise Ehlers | July 22nd, 2013 Data gathered during the audit of pre-trial detainees in Malawi suggests that the yearly exposure of the population to
The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.
@DecrimPS
#DecrimPoverty | #DecrimStatus | #DecrimActivism
