Updates Archives

‘Petty Offences, Major consequences’ : TelQuel special feature
Co-founder of Relais, Youssef Madad is interviewed in TelQuel Feature on ‘Petty Offences, Major Consequences’. In his interview, entitled ‘Neighbourhoods are the right grounds for

CAMPHK files as amicus to decriminalise suicide in Kenya
In Kenya attempted suicide as laid out by Section 226 of the Penal Code is a misdemeanor punishable by Two (2) Year’s imprisonment or a

Bid to overturn Sierra Leone loitering laws that activists claim ‘criminalise poverty’
The Guardian: Citing claims of violence and rape by police, lawyers and activists mount legal challenge to laws brought in under British rule A case

Poor traders in Jail
Campaign partner, Crime Check TV release a video that highlights the effect of dutybearers using vagrancy and loitering laws to target poor traders in Ghana.

“Justice for All” event kick-starts a year of action
Side event to the 31st Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Co-organised by Ghana, Mexico, South Africa, the United States, Campaign to

‘Decriminalising petty offences’ JoyNews Special
‘Decriminalizing Petty Offences’ special on JoyNews Online. Mina Mensah, Director, CHRI and Samuel Lardy Anyenini, Director of Programmes, IHRDA exchanged with the host of Joy News’ programme ‘The Law’

Campaign issues statement at 71st ACHPR Ordinary Session
As part of the civil society engagement at the 71st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, the campaign issued the attached collective statement, via it’s campaign partner,

Court case filed against Sierra Leone to overturn discriminatory loitering laws
AdvocAid has filed a case at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, against the Government of

“Counting the cost of exclusion” seminar – Highlights
Linking criminal law, political exclusion and socio-economic inequality On 24 March 2022, the Global Campaign to Decriminalize Poverty and Status hosted a virtual seminar

Online petition launched to decriminalise cannabis in Kenya
Campaign partner, CAPMHK has launched an online petition calling for the decriminalisation of cannabis for personal use in Kenya. In Kenya, when one is found guilty of possession of

ILF work in Nepal selected as a World Justice Challenge finalist
Campaign partner, The International Legal Foundation has been selected as a finalist for the World Justice Challenge for their work on decriminalising poverty in Nepal.

Why the courts alone can’t solve homelessness
An op-ed from APCOF describes how, despite a court order, the City of Cape Town was yet to return the seized possessions after evicting homeless

12 inmates regain freedom in innovative e-Court sittings
In response to congestion of custodial centers in Nigeria in the aftermath of the COVID 19 Pandemic, PRAWA with the support of OSIWA, piloted the

Quarterly Digest: July to Dec 2021
Missed out on the latest updates from our partners? You can read the complete quarterly digest here: Digest – July to Dec 2021

Implications of petty offences in Uganda – A documentary
Criminal laws, particularly those providing for petty offences such as vagrancy laws, have consistently been used to arrest, detain, evict, or exploit the labour of

City of Cape Town’s ‘broken windows’ policy demands more than a criminal justice response
In December 2021, campaign partner, APCOF crafted an OP-Ed in South Africa’s Daily Maverick entitled ‘City of Cape Town’s ‘broken windows’ policy demands more than a criminal

Campaign issues statement at 69th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR
As part of the civil society engagement at the 69th Ordinary Session of the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the campaign issued the

‘Equal before the Law?’ – Petty offences on BBC podcast
“The vendor who changed Malawi: Mayeso Gwanda took the state to court after his arrest for an outdated and vague petty crime. While he was

‘Poverty is not a crime’ media campaign launched in Tunisia
As part of their activities under the Campaign to Decriminalise Petty Offences in Africa, the Organisation against Torture in Tunisia (OCTT) has launched an media

Petty Offences Symposium Report released
Throughout the globe, petty offenses, such as loitering laws, are used to exert social control. They criminalize poverty and marginalization and police gender norms. In

Regional High Level Consultation Dialogue Report
Regional High Level Consultation Dialogue Report on Implementation and Domestication of AU Standards to Decriminalize Petty Offences SADC Lawyers Association’s primary mandate is to promote

Construction(s) of Female Criminality: Gender, Caste and State Violence
CPAP: The narrative of a criminal woman finds its bearings within the caste system in India. During British colonial rule, the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871

MALAWI: Law Society rejects Legal Aid Proposal
In a proposal addressed to the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament dated April 7 2021, the bureau wants limited right of audience for legal aid

KENYA: New Law bans spitting, urinating in public
You risk either being slapped with a Sh10,000 fine or a six-month jail term if you are caught blowing your nose, spitting or going for

Justice for Poor – Fight intensifies
The battle for legal representation for the poor has intensified with the Judiciary, some lawyers and civil society organisations backing a Legal Aid Bureau proposal

Report human interest stories – journalists told
Ghanaian journalists have been advised not to forget their core mandates as agenda setters to report human interests stories particularly on the vulnerable to engender

“Decriminalising poverty in South Africa” – Webinar report
South Africa’s Constitution, reflective of regional human rights law, embodies values and principles that mandate the adoption and implementation of measures that promote a more inclusive and egalitarian

Abuja High Court denounces violation of Women’s Rights by law enforcement agencies
12 August 2021, Abuja – On 5 August 2021, the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, per Justice Maha, handed down a groundbreaking decision against

Abuja High Court denounces violation of Women’s Rights by Law Enforcement Agencies
Lawyers Alert & SALC: On 5 August 2021, the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, per Justice Maha, handed down a groundbreaking decision against

Malawi High Court to Determine Constitutionality of Police Sweeping Exercises
21 June 2021, Blantyre – Today, Judge Zione Ntaba heard the case of State v Officer in Charge, Kasungu Police Station and Inspector General of
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
