Updates Archives
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
African Court Challenges States to rethink the Basis of their Criminal Laws
Africa.com 22 January 2021 By Anneke Meerkotter On 4 December 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights issued an Advisory Opinion which challenges
Africa: a Regional Campaign to Decriminalise Petty Offences
In March 2015, a street vendor named Mayeso Gwanda was arrested on his way to work in Malawi for being a ‘rogue and vagabond’. He
Prioritise non-custodial sentencing
Speakers at a roundtable discussion on sentencing in the country’s Criminal Justice System have called on judges to prioritise the option of non-custodial sentencing that
Human Rights: African Commission Adopts Principles for Decriminalization of Petty Offenses in Africa
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 21st Extraordinary Session held from 23 February to 4 March 2017 in
Vagrancy-related provisions in various criminal laws and criminal procedure laws in Africa
Note: This table was compiled using the Penal Codes that are accessible online, and we accordingly cannot guarantee that we referred to the latest versions
How One Man Defeated the Legacy of an Empire
Across Africa, corrupt police officers use colonial laws to extort bribes, arrest and sexually assault the indigent and punish anyone they don’t like. Malawi is
The National Council on the Administration of Justice Committee on Criminal Justice Reforms Planning Meeting
The National Council on the Administration of Justice Committee on Criminal Justice Reforms (NCCJR) was established and gazzeted by The Chief Justice of Kenya, Hon.David
RWANDA:“All Thieves Must Be Killed” Extrajudicial Executions in Western Rwanda
The mayor said, “All thieves must be killed.” He said it was an order. −Witness to the execution of Fulgence Rukundo on December 6, 2016
Mr. Wilfred Nderitu Elected as the VC of the NCAJ Committee on Criminal Justice Reforms at the Committee’s Inaugural Meeting
Mr. Wilfred Nderitu was on 3rd August 2017 elected as the Vice Chairperson of the National Council on the Administration of Justice Committee on Criminal
Conference addresses Discriminatory Petty Offences in Africa
ACJR participated in the 8th Annual Conference of the Pan African Lawyers Union Seminar focusing on Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
Kenyans are still oppressed by archaic colonial laws
It’s been 54 years since Kenya got her independence and yet there are still a number of archaic, colonial and discriminatory laws on the statute
Govt on the spot as women languish in jail over petty offenses
An audit report in Kenya’s criminal justice system paints a tragic picture on women access to justice. It portrays state organs as the worst enemy
Offences that keep Nairobi County Court busy
By Josphat Thio’go It’s Monday morning and City Hall is once again a beehive of activity after the weekend break. People are pacing up and
Kenya Chief Justice – Committee on Criminal Justice Reform (NCCJR)
Following the national conference on decriminalization and re-classification of petty offences held in Nairobi in March 2017, and further to research findings from the audit
ACHPR/Res. 366 (EXT.OS/XX1) 2017
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 21st Extraordinary Session held from 23 February to 4 March 2017 in
Poverty is not a crime: Decriminalise and declassify petty offences
06 Feb 2017 | by Melody Kozah, African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) People living in poverty and on the margins of society have been,
Decriminalisation of petty offences
May 5, 2017 By NLM Reporter Criminalisation of petty offences in Kenya has, over time, provided a basis for gross violation of the human rights
Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard) Sep 30 – Dec 11, 1986
Hansard Record on Google Books
Experts call for decriminalisation and reclassification of petty offences
by ODHIAMBO ORLALE · April 13, 2017 A new study on petty offences shows a link between poverty, corruption and increase in the number of
Addressing Petty Offences in Kenya: Which Way Forward?
Victor Kapiyo[1] Petty offences are generally understood to be lesser criminal acts which attract less severe punishment. This is because they are considered to be
Chief Justice David Maraga Reveals the Day Police Arrested Him in Nakuru Town
By Benjamin Muriuki. Maraga revealed that at the time he was a student and was nabbed by police in Nakuru town for allegedly loitering.
Remove criminal sanctions for petty offenders – ICJ
By JOSEPH NDUNDA, The International Commission of Jurists on Thursday called for a review of laws to remove criminal sanctions on petty offenders. They want
National Conference on Decriminalization and Re-Classification of Petty Offences in Africa 30.03.2017
Following the conclusion of the policy research on petty offences and practices affecting populations at National Level and in Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi county levels,
“Rogues” and “Vagabonds” No More: Ending Africa’s Imperial Legacy of Absurd Petty Offenses
By Louise Ehlers At 3 a.m. one March morning, Mayeso Gwanda, an informal trader, left his home in Blantyre, Malawi, and traveled to the nearby
Malawi: Challenging Constitutionality of Rogue and Vagabond Offence
In March 2015, the applicant was arrested by police whilst on his way to the market where he works as a street vendor. He was
Moi, Mayeso Gwanda, j’ai fait invalider une loi coloniale vieille de 192 ans qui terrorisait le Malawi
“Il faut maintenant débarrasser l’Afrique d’autres lois similaires.” Ce témoignage de Mayeso Gwanda, vendeur à Blantyre, au Malawi, a été recueilli par l’Open Society Foundations,
Petty offences chocking the justice system, audit reveals
By Paul Muhoho The criminal justice system is jammed with less serious offences that contribute to unnecessary delay in prosecutions and congestion in detention centres,
Gwanda: Vendor who changed the law
Lawmakers have moved at a snail’s pace to change some draconian laws and history will record that it took a vendor to get the Constitutional
No more ‘Vakabu’ offence, Malawi court rules Rogue and vagabond law ‘unconstitutional’
The High Court in Blantyre has ruled that rogue and vagabond offence is unconstitutional. The determination was made by a panel of three judges comprising
Somali Association of South Africa v Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (48/2014) ZASCA 143 (26 September 2014).
Summary: Asylum seekers and refugees’ entitlement to apply for licences to trade in spaza and tuck-shops – no blanket prohibition against self-employment either in terms
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
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
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