Updates Archives

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

Poverty: African vagrancy laws continue to discriminate, despite court victories
At least 22 African countries – former colonies of the Belgians, British, Dutch, French and Portuguese – retain domestic laws that make ‘vagrancy’ illegal and

The African Media Lawyers Network unveiled: Uniting legal and media in AU Member States
PALU: The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) and the Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) in coordination with the UNESCO Liaison Office to AU and UNECA,

AdvocAid pushes for the decriminalisation and declassification of petty offences in Sierra Leone
AdvocAid: On Thursday, February 15, 2024, AdvocAid Sierra Leone engaged members of the Legislative and Human rights committees in Parliament on the decriminalisation and declassification of

Ghana: President Nana Akufo-Addo must not sign deeply discriminatory anti-LGBT law
Amnesty International: Responding to the passing of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024” by Ghana’s parliament on February 28, Amnesty International’s Ghana

Ethiopia: Authorities must stop using state of emergency law to silence peaceful dissent
Amnesty International: Ethiopian authorities have used the state of emergency to silence peaceful dissent by arbitrarily detaining prominent politicians critical of the government and journalists,

Wa Baile v. Switzerland
Mohamed Wa Baile claims to have been subjected to ethnic profiling in 2015, when he was stopped by police officers in a train station in

Beyond the Bars Conference 2023
Moving building towards a just Africa On 30th November to 2nd December 2023, campaign partner, Clean Start Africa organized The Beyond the Bars Conference. The

First ever UN resolution on Access to Justice for All adopted
The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status welcomes the adoption of the first-ever resolution on access to justice for all by the United Nations General Assembly. This

Strengthening Civic Space in Africa
SALC: Despite significant successes by activists, the global anti-rights movement has swung the pendulum in favour of the increased use of the law and criminal

Nepal: District Court’s historic verdict a welcome step for justice for Dalit community
Amnesty International: Responding to the landmark verdict on 5 December on the killing of Nabaraj BK and five others by the West Rukum District Court

Law Center Statement on Today’s United Nations Report Decrying Ongoing Human Rights Abuses Against Unhoused People
National Homelessness Law Center: WASHINGTON, D.C. – (November 3, 2023) Today, the United Nations Human Rights Committee highlighted serious and ongoing patterns of human rights abuses —

Russia: Judgment labelling “LGBT movement” as “extremist” will have catastrophic consequences
Amnesty International: The Supreme Court’s ruling recognizes as “extremist” an undefined “international public LGBT movement.” This phrase, used by the Russian Ministry of Justice, appears to target

U.N. Calls for U.S. to Abolish Laws Criminalizing Homelessness
Invisible People: The United Nations Human Rights Committee recently called on U.S. officials to abolish laws criminalizing homelessness in concluding observations from the body’s fifth

Study Finds Homelessness Is Caused by High Cost of Living, Not Substance Abuse
Invisible People: Another study confirmed what many housing advocates already know: Homelessness is primarily caused by a lack of affordable housing, not substance abuse. The study, which

Call for input: Criminalisation of women due to poverty and status
Penal Reform International (PRI) and Women Beyond Walls are collaborating to map out the key areas in need of reform related to the criminalisation of women globally

It’s time for Kenya to decriminalise petty offences
ICJ-Kenya: NAIROBI,Kenya, – The distinction between petty offences and all other offences is that they are categorized as misdemeanours, now enshrined in law. Calls to

Revitilising the campaign against sedition and insult offences in Africa
SALC: Sedition laws are a serious threat to freedom of expression and democracy in Africa. These laws are often used to silence dissent and criminalize

UN expert calls for scrapping of colonial laws and policies that marginalise LGBT persons
NEW YORK (27 October 2023) – The vast majority of countries that have laws and policies targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity

54th Session of the Human Rights Council: Drug Policy Highlights
Harm Reduction International: On 13 October 2023, the Human Rights Council (HRC) concluded its 54th session (11/09/2023 to 13/10/2023). This briefing highlight key debates, decisions

Keynote address at ICPA Annual Conference 2023 argues for decriminalisation of poverty and status
PRI: The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Annual Conference 2023 took place in Antwerp, Belgium, from 22-27 October 2023, hosted by the Belgian Prison

Recommendations adopted at regional conference on justice-affected women in Africa
From 18-20 October 2023, 257 delegates representing 7 countries from across Africa convened for a regional conference: ‘Unlocking Barriers: Rights of Women in the Criminal

UN Special Rapporteurs express concerns about draft Italian law that could criminalise persons occupying housing or lands irregularly
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing and the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty sent a communication to Italy on a draft law that could lead to

The over-penalisation of poverty through fines and fees
PRI: In many countries around the world, criminal justice fines disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalised in society, effectively creating tiered justice systems. In this blog,

Decriminalize petty offences and ensure gendered approaches during probation and aftercare services
ICJ-Kenya: KAMPALA, Uganda – The International Commission of Jurists, Kenyan Section has been at the forefront of National, Regional and Global campaigns calling for the
Judicial accountability and independence must be upheld
ICJ-Kenya: The Kenyan Chapter of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-K) is championing for Judicial Independence and Accountability in the country, that will facilitate Judicial

Let’s reform our criminal justice system and spare petty offenders
Amnesty International: The launch of the Malalamishi app by the Director of the Office of Public Prosecutions this week offers another glimmer of hope for

CSOs call for repeal of Malaysia’s Sedition Act
A number of organizations sent a letter to Malaysia’s Home Affairs Minister and Minister of Law urging that the government repeal the Sedition Act, in

Restorative, teen-administered juvenile justice past and present
PRI: While 261,200 children are estimated to be in detention globally, child-specific justice legislation, child-friendly courts and specialised procedures continue to divert children away from the criminal justice system

Constitutional petition filed in Mozambique against privileged prison conditions for the rich
Maputo, 24 May 2023 – Today, 2000 Mozambican citizens, under the leadership of lawyer and human rights activist, Maria Alice Mabota, filed a petition before the Constitutional

Tunisia: Ghannouchi sentencing marks aggressive crackdown on Saied opposition
Amnesty International: A Tunisian court’s decision to sentence opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi to prison under Tunisia’s anti-terrorism law highlights an intensifying campaign against the country’s

Court decision is a blow to freedom of expression and independence of lawyers
Amnesty International: The Beirut Court of Appeals’ decision to dismiss the petition by lawyers seeking the annulment of apparently unconstitutional amendments to lawyers’ code of

APCOF delivers statement at ACHPR 75th Session
APCOF delivered a statement on behalf of the Campaign during the 75th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, held in Banjul and online.

Uganda’s Constitutional Court Holds Vagrancy Laws Unconstitutional
On 2 December 2022, in a ground-breaking decision for street vendors and other informal workers, the Constitutional Court of Uganda in Francis Tumwesige Ateenyi v Attorney

Malawi High Court declares unconstitutional the banning of dreadlocks in government schools
SALC: On 8 May 2023, the High Court of Malawi delivered a judgment declaring that the unwritten or written policy of the Government requiring all

Being homeless is not a crime — conflating criminality and homelessness is a dangerous stereotype
Ndifuna Ukwazi: Treating the life-sustaining activities of street-based people as a criminal nuisance, in the manner that the City of Cape Town’s by-laws do, will

National Homelessness Law Center responds to murder of Jordan Neely
(May 5, 2023, Washington, DC) – The National Homelessness Law Center is outraged over the strangulation and murder of Jordan Neely Monday, May 1, 2023. The Law

LGBTQ rights and inclusion amid Botswana’s constitutional review process
SALC: The Botswana courts are among the very few in Southern Africa that has set a trajectory in realizing and protecting LGBTIQ+ rights. In 2016,

False News or Free Speech: Protecting Freedom of Expression In Botswana
SALC: Publishing false news or alarming/misleading information, defined differently in different jurisdictions, has a long and infamous history. From ancient Rome to the present day,

Attacks on journalists on the rise as authorities seek to suppress press freedom
Amnesty International: Authorities across East and Southern Africa escalated their attacks against journalists and press freedom across the region to suppress reporting of corruption and

Call for inputs: Report on colonialism and sexual orientation and gender identity
The Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE SOGI), Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, will dedicate his report

Extrajudicial Killings in Nigeria, the unending circle
Hope Behind Bars: On February 17, 2023, viral social media allegations of extra-judicial killings led to the arrest of three police officers in Anambra state. CSP Patrick

Why are we still sending people to jail for being Poor? It’s time to truly abolish debtors’ prisons
FFJC: Imagine spending a week in jail for being unable to pay a bill. That’s what happened to Roxana Beck. After she pleaded guilty to

PALU 2023 Annual Conference announced
The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), the premier continental forum for lawyers and lawyers’ associations, which membership has grown exponentially and now comprises of over

CleanStart Founder awarded Elevate Prize 2023
CleanStart: Congratualations to Teresa Njoroge, the CEO & Founder of the CleanStart, for being awarded the coveted Elevate Prize. Through Clean Start, her innovative approach

APCOF submits amicus in support of challenge to Cape Town by-laws criminalising homelessness
APCOF has been admitted as amicus curiae in Gelderbloem and Others v City of Cape Town (WCHC 5708/21 and EC06/2021), which will be heard in

Report on Advocacy visit to Hisbah, Kano, Nigeria to decriminalize petty offences
Lawyers Alert with the support of the Open Society Initiative of West Africa (OSIWA) is implementing a project that seeks to deepen efforts at decriminalization

RTI key stakeholders validate CHRI’s Right To Information training manual for judges
From CHRI: Some selected judges and members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have endorsed a Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) Right To Information (RTI) training

Freedom of Expression cannot be Suppressed, Urges Sierra Leone’s Civil Society
AdvocAid, L.A.W.Y.E.R.S., I.LR.A.J., A Girl At A Time, Amnesty International, and Girlz Empowered are concerned about the recent arrest of Zainab Sheriff who was arrested and detained for a video she posted online

Malaysia’s sedition irony
One of the Sultan of Malaysia’s purchased a painting depicting parliamentarians as apes and frogs, a commentary on floor crossing, with no consequence (top image).

Harm reduction, racial justice, Indigenous Peoples rights: UN Human Rights Council breaks new ground on drug policy
IDPC: History was made this week at the UN. The Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted the most ambitious and progressive resolution on drug policy to date,

Food, Housing, and Racial Justice Symposium
The Human Rights Clinic and Program at the University of Miami School of Law, in collaboration with the Human Rights Society, the Office of Intellectual

Morocco: Journalist faces three years in jail for Facebook post
From Amnesty International: Responding to the opening today of the trial of journalist Hanane Bakour who faces up to three years in prison and a

Namibia | Same-sex couples find community in their legal challenge
From SALC: Daniel Digashu, one-half of one of the two couples fighting for the right to be recognised by the Namibian state, writes about how they found

Nigerian Mental Health CSOs call for the decriminalisation of suicide
No fewer than 41 health Civil Society Organisations have called on the Nigerian Federal Government to end the criminalisation of suicide in the country. The

Malaysia seeks to decriminalize suicide attempts
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is seeking to decriminalize suicide attempts, its law minister said on Tuesday, the latest in a recent slew of legal reforms

USA: DC Council votes unanimously to decriminalize street vending
The measure passed Tuesday April 4, 2023, also creates vending zones, waives unpaid civil citations and streamlines the licensing process. It requires the mayor’s signature

Support. Don’t Punish Initiatives programme – Call for expressions of interest
Through this call, the Support. Don’t Punish campaign aims to identify and support local partners (up to 7) with funding of between USD 4,000 – 5,000 for

How harsh drug laws undermine health and human rights in Asia Pacific
From IDPC: Twenty-one countries in the [Asia Pacific] region operate either state-run compulsory detention and rehabilitation facilities for people who use drugs or similar facilities.

USA: New Mexico signs groundbreaking Fee Elimination Bill into Law
From Fines & Fees Justice Center: SANTA FE, NM – Last night, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB 139, which eliminates the post-adjudication and bench warrant

Draft French law increasing penalties for ‘squatting’ denounced by UN Special Rapporteurs
(30 March 2023) The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to

Will predictive systems profile you as a criminal?
Fair Trials: Police forces and criminal justice authorities across Europe are using data, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to ‘predict’ if certain people are at

“Call them crazy”: Criminalisation of activists undermines rule of law in the EU
From Fair Trials: The Dutch police continue to disregard the rule of law to criminalise the pacifist activist Frank van der Linde. In recent years,

Is Kenya going down a slippery slope?
From ICJ-K: On 27 March 2023, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJKenya) continued to monitor and document the activities that unfolded

Protect Sex Worker’s Rights
SALC, CHREAA and FSWA call upon the Malawi Police Services and Government to consider police actions from the point of view of those most affected

Uganda: Reject anti-LGBTI law that criminalizes same-sex sexual activity
From Amnesty International: During the debate in the Parliament, MPs passed to impose life imprisonment punishment for same sex conduct, and 10 years for attempted

Campaign members denounce new law in Guinea-Bissau criminalising children begging
From ACJR & Reformar: It was reported from Guinea Bissau on 20 March 2023 that a new law will prohibit Islamic leaders using children for begging.

Webinar: Sub-National Government and the Criminalisation of Poverty & Status: Defining the problem
Partners ACJR, Lawyers Alert, CHREAA, LHR and ICJ-K hereby cordially invite you to the first of a series of webinars on sub-national governance and the

African Human Rights Yearbook Vol 6 released
The Pretoria University Law Press releases landmark publication of African Union Human Rights Bodies: African Human Rights Yearbook and launches call for contributions to 2023

Third-party intervention filed at the Community Court of Justice of ECOWAS
Amnesty International: On 22 March 2023, Amnesty International submitted a third-party intervention to the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African

Defending Waste Pickers’ Livelihoods: Lessons from Litigation in Latin America
From WIEGO: Waste pickers have won several legal actions in Latin America over the past two decades. This edition of Law & Informality Insights – Defending
Challenging Criminal Code on Alarming Publications in Botswana
Partner Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) supports Tshepo Junior Sethibe through Obonye Attorneys, represented by Dr Jonas Obonye, who are challenging Section 59(1) of the Botswana Penal

Kenyan Prisons Target 10 Million Trees in Decongestion Drive to See Petty Offenders Freed
Nyahururu — The State Department for Correctional Services will start engaging petty offenders in tree planting exercises under Community Service Orders (CSO) in a bid

Applications open for Waging Justice for Women Fellowships
From Clooney’s Foundation for Justice: “For too long, the law has served as a tool of oppression against women and girls, who continue to face

New Mexico, US approves groundbreaking bill to end costly court fees in legal system
From partner Fines & Fees Justice Center: With clear bipartisan support, the New Mexico Senate approved legislation to eliminate the post-adjudication and bench warrant fees

Sudden homelessness is Years in the Making
Partner Invisible People gives an overview of how homelessness is years in the making: Homelessness is an event that can happen suddenly. One minute a
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.
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