legal-and-judicial-affairs

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Rising Tribalism in South Africa: A Rejoinder
[Fahamu] Gumede is right in his conclusion that people will seek refuge in tribalism when democratic institutions are made to fail.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 12:08

Nigeria: Biafra Group Files Complaint Against the Country at ICC
[Fahamu] Just as secessionist leader Odumegwu Ojukwu moved in 1967 to declare the independence of Biafra to protect his people from genocidal killings, the group is asking ICC to intervene on their behalf before they are completely exterminated.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 12:08

Somalia: Somalia - No Justification for Ratifying the Draft Constitution
[Fahamu] Widespread opposition to the document stems from the way it was formulated in secret without public mandate or the input of Somali civil society, intellectuals and constitutional experts.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 12:08

Our Ugly Secret - Abortion in Zimbabwe, Illegal but Thriving
[Fahamu] More than 70 000 illegal abortions are carried out in Zimbabwe every year, with Zimbabwean women running a 200 times greater risk of dying of abortion complications than their counterparts in South Africa, where the procedure is legal.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 12:08

Nigeria: N44 Million Bribe Scandal - Hembe Arraigned, Refuses to Mount Dock
[Vanguard] Abuja - Trial of the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Institutions, Mr. Herman Hembe, kicked off on a dramatic note, yesterday, as the lawmaker declined to either mount the dock or enter his plea to a charge he said was grossly incompetent.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 10:24

Nigeria: Judicial Officers and Integrity Question
[Leadership] As judges gathered in Abuja this week for a workshop, chief justice of Nigeria Dahiru Musdapher told them: "The judiciary today is under intense and sustained public scrutiny more than ever in the history of this country. In the face of this increased public scrutiny, judicial officers must ensure that their judicial activities are irreproachable and their character unimpeachable.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 10:14

Gambia: Well Done!
[Daily Observer] Barely two days after a Briton was found dead in his car in Bakoteh, three people suspected to have orchestrated his murder are now in custody helping the police in their investigations. This timely success of the police in apprehending the suspects is indeed commendable, as they have once again proven to the whole country that the institution is leaving no stone unturned in making this country crime-free.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 08:54

Zimbabwe: Police Label TB Joshua a False Phophet
[SW Radio] A ZANU PF plot to block a visit to Zimbabwe by popular Nigerian preacher Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua gathered steam on Wednesday when a senior police officer labelled him a 'false prophet' that people needed to be aware of.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 08:23

Zimbabwe: MDC-T Members to Plead Not-Guilty in Cop Murder Case
[SW Radio] All 29 MDC-T members accused of killing police inspector Petros Mutedza last year will plead not guilty to charges of murder, their lawyer said on Thursday.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 08:23

Kenya: Cabinet Okays Punitive Traffic Amendments
[Capital FM] Nairobi, Kenya - The Cabinet has approved proposed amendments to the Traffic Act that are geared towards dealing with traffic offenses which account for 25 percent of accidents in the country.
AllAfrica | 18-May-2012 05:36

Carter Center to 'Witness' Egyptian Presidential Elections
[State Department] QUESTION: Yes, please. Definitely in the coming days G-8 and then NATO meeting, and what you are trying to or what you are going to discuss regarding Egypt and the Arab Spring in this context of G-8 or NATO meeting summit?
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 23:52

Republican People's Party and Its Founders to Support Moussa
[Aswat Masriya] The Republican People's Party and its founders Hasaballah Al-Kafrawi, former minister of housing, Yehia Al-Gamal, former deputy prime minister, and others announced their support for presidential candidate Amr Moussa, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 23:09

Brotherhood's Mursi 'Endorsed By God', MP Says
[Aswat Masriya] Muslim Brotherhood's Member of Parliament (MP) Manal Abul Hassan said that the Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohamed Mursi is endorsed by God.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 23:09

Africa: U.S. Looks to cut Non-Humanitarian Aid to Nations That Host Bashir
[U.S. House] Washington, D.C. (May 17, 2012) - As part of an ongoing effort to bring Sudanese President Omar Bashir to justice, the House Appropriations Committee today adopted an amendment cutting off non-humanitarian aid to any nation that allows the indicted war criminal into their country.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 20:56

Mozambique: Compensation Agreed for Pirate Victims
[AIM] Maputo - The Spanish-Mozambican fishing company Pescamar, which operated the "Vega 5", a vessel seized by Somali pirates in the Mozambique Channel in December 2010, has finally agreed to compensate the 12 survivors of the "Vega 5" crew, reports Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 17:27

Nigeria: One Killed As Explosion Rocks Port Harcourt
[This Day] Rivers State Police Command has confirmed that one person died while two were injured as a result of an explosion that rocked the busy Rumuokoro axis of Port Harcourt city Thursday morning.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 17:20

Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Primary, Islamiyya Schools in Kano
[This Day] Suspected gunmen on Wednesday night attacked Ja'en Primary and Farawa Islamiyya Schools in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 17:20

Liberia: Bong Bar Association Admits Senator Taylor, Others
[Informer] The 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Bong County has qualified four new Attorneys-At-Law and admitted them to the Bong County Bar. The four Attorneys are graduates of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 17:08

Rwanda: Doctor Arrested Over Surgical Instruments Found Inside Woman
[New Times] Police have arrested a medical doctor in connection with the case of a woman whose life was saved by medics in January this year after they removed several surgical tools, including three gloves, a syringe and cotton, from her uterus.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 17:00

Amnesty or Prosecution for War Criminals?
[IRIN] Kampala - The arrest of a senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander has reignited debate in Uganda about what to do with alleged war criminals: let them go, to encourage other rebels to surrender; or prosecute them in the name of accountability and justice.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 16:47

Police, DPP Guilty of Abusing Their Powers
[Observer] Eleven terrorism suspects who have been in detention at Luzira in connection with the monarchist riots of September 2009 have been acquitted after Justice Ralph Ochan ruled that the state had failed to prove its case against them. Another 14 had been released after the trial started this year. In his ruling, the High Court judge noted that the Police and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had mishandled the case right from the start. He also agreed with the defence lawyers that the state had viol
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 15:35

Sudan: Thousands Turn Out to Celebrate SPLA/M 29th Anniversary in Juba
[Citizen] Juba - An estimates of over six thousand people turned out yesterday in Dr John Garang mausoleum to celebrated the 29th anniversary of the SPLA/M in juba capital of the south Sudan. This is the 1st anniversary to be celebrated since the south seceded from Sudan last year July
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 15:15

Cabinet to Appeal E-Tolls Interdict
[BuaNews] Pretoria - Cabinet has decided to appeal the court decision granting an interdict against e-tolling on Gauteng's main freeways.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 14:32

Liberia: Taylor Begs for Merciful Jail Sentence
[Heritage] Former Liberian President Charles G. Taylor has appealed for merciful jail sentence as judges of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague decide his fate this month. Judges at the Court are expected to deliver their verdict on Mr. Taylor sentencing on 30 May 2012. Mr. Taylor's appeal comes on the heels of a prosecution request for an 80-year jail sentence. In written filings, prosecutors said a sentence of 80 years would reflect the severity of the crimes and the central role that Taylor h
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 14:26

Somalia: Prime Minister Gaas Says Puntland Entitled to 'Constitution Response'
[Garowe Online] Mogadishu - Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas said that the elders' conference in Mogadishu is continuing as planned and that the delays are not due to disagreement between Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Radio Garowe reports.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 14:15

Botswana: Why Country Has Never Had a Military Coup
[OSISA] Lauded as a 'shining example of democracy', Botswana is one of the few countries in Africa that has never experienced a military coup. I recently studied a paper by Dr Naison Ngoma, a senior researcher at Institute of Security Studies in South Africa titled, Coups and Coup Attempts in Africa: Is there a missing link? In the paper, Ngoma talks about how Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius have never had military coups or even coup attempts - although he doesn't go into detail about why not.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:23

Nigeria: Ghanaian Universities - How Nigerians Are Swindled
[Daily Trust] Educational infrastructure in Nigeria is overstretched due to explosion of prospective students seeking admission into universities and other tertiary institutions. This has resulted in an unprecedented exodus of Nigerian students to foreign universities. In this report, our Ghana correspondent Kate Da Costa says many Nigerian students are being swindled by suspicious private universities in Ghana.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:05

Parliamentary Debate Stalled by Zanu-PF Court Challenge
[SW Radio] Debate in Zimbabwe's parliament was once again stalled as it resumed sitting on Wednesday, with a ZANU PF attempt to block a private members bill.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:03

Nigeria: Policewomen Can Marry Without CP's Consent - Court
[Daily Trust] Lagos - A Lagos Federal High Court yesterday declared as illegal and unconstitutional a provision of the Police Act that forbids a woman police officer from marrying a man of her choice without the approval of the Commissioner of Police in the command where she is serving.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:03

Liberia: Charles Taylor - the War Criminal Pleads for Mercy
[iMaverick] It was another bravado performance in The Hague from Charles Taylor, who looked gentle and unassuming as he asked for leniency. Almost tempted to believe him, Simon Allison recalls that no amount of smooth talking can erase the horrors the man inflicted on Sierra Leone.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:03

Country Is Best Hope for Zimbabwe Torture Victims
[OSISA] Last week, the North Gauteng High Court ruled that South Africa's investigating and prosecuting authorities must investigate systematic torture amounting to crimes against humanity committed in Zimbabwe. Those investigations may result in prosecutions and currently hold the best chance of Zimbabwean officials who are responsible for severe human rights abuses facing any form of justice.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 13:00

Zimbabwe: 'Exorbitant' Zim Mining Fees Will Not Be Reviewed
[SW Radio] New mining fees in Zimbabwe, which have been condemned as 'exorbitant', will not be reviewed, after Mines Minister Obert Mpofu said the new fees were proving profitable.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 12:58

Liberia: Man, 27, Gets 99-Years Sentence
[New Dawn] The Presiding Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit sitting for its March Term in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, has sentenced a 27-year-old man to 99 years imprisonment for murder.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 12:13

Liberia: Police Disrobe 304 Officers
[New Dawn] Liberian National Police spokesman George Bardue has announced that 304 officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) have been disrobed and suspended.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 12:13

Africa: The Costs of Firearm Violence - a National Public Health Priority
[ISS] South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 11:22

Zambia: I Met Judge Musonda - Mohan
[Times of Zambia] IN a dramatic turn of events, incarcerated business executive, Mathew Mohan has come out claiming that suspended Supreme Court Judge, Phillip Musonda, visited him at prison to coerce him not to testify against him if called as a witness before the tribunal set up to probe the conduct of three judges.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 11:21

Mali: Terrorists and Uncertainty Flourish in North
[RNW Africa] There's been no peace in northern Mali since Tuareg rebels took control of the area and declared independence earlier this year. Radical Muslim fighters came in their wake and introduced Islamic law. Meanwhile, terrorists from all over the world are reportedly coming to Mali. Yet no one really has a hold on the region.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 11:16

Prosecute George Bush Too, Says Charles Taylor
[New Dawn] Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, now convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity in relations to atrocities committed in Sierra Leone, has stressed the need for former US President George W. Bush to be prosecuted for similar crimes.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 10:02

Nigeria: Senate Passes Bill to Increase Number of High Court Judges
[Daily Trust] The Senate today considered a Bill seeking to increase the number of High Court judges from the present 70 to 100.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 09:50

Swaziland: New Bill 'Will Close Down the Press'
[Swazi Media] The Swaziland Government has been accused of trying to close down the press with the publication of a new Bill to bar public servants from disclosing any information about their work that relates to 'public policy'.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 09:49

Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Attempts to Revise Constitutional Draft Thwarted
[SW Radio] A faction in ZANU PF is allegedly pushing for a wholesale revision of the draft constitution, in an attempt to smuggle in a provision that allows serving military officers to be active in political parties of their choice.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 09:30

Nigeria: Senate Increases High Court Judges Number to 100
[This Day] The Senate Wednesday passed a bill seeking an increase in the number of Federal High Court Judges from 70 to 100.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 09:29

Nigeria: Court Voids Law Barring Female Policemen From Marriage
[Leadership] Justice Steven Adah of a Federal High Court in Ikeja has declared as illegal and unconstitutional the provision of the Police Act that prohibits a woman police officer from marrying a man of her choice unless she obtained the permission of the Commissioner of Police in the command where she is serving.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 08:59

Nigeria: Drunken Policeman On Rampage
[Leadership] In yet another crude use of force, recently, a policeman attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos, reportedly shot and killed a man and a woman for reasons yet to be justified.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 08:59

Rwanda: Ex-PM Rwigema in Race for EALA Seat
[New Times] Quiet campaigns and lobbying for the country's nine slots in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) are in earnest ahead of elections on Friday.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 08:51

Nigeria: Why Police Officers Are Corrupt - IGP
[Leadership] Acting inspector-general of police (IG) Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar has said that the fear of officers not owning a house of their own has driven many into corruption. Many officers and men retire from the force without a roof over their head, he stated.
AllAfrica | 17-May-2012 08:38