Southern African Public Law: Announcements

Journal News

Southern African Public Law — 2024-04-05

We applaud associate editor, Dr Keneilwe Radebe, on being appointed as a member of the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) for a term of five years. The newly appointed nine SALRC members are tasked to conduct research concerning all branches of the law of the Republic and to study and investigate all such branches to make recommendations to the Government for the development, improvement, and modernisation of the law.

The SALRC is an independent advisory statutory body established to investigate the state of South African law and make reform proposals to the national and provincial legislatures. Also, the commission investigates matters appearing on a programme approved by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. Reports and other documents published by the Commission are made available to the public.

Job Advertisement: Editor-in-Chief

Southern African Public Law — 2024-02-05

Job Advertisement: Editor-in-Chief

Southern African Public Law Journal

The Southern African Public Law (SAPL) journal is an accredited, blind peer-reviewed journal published twice a year. It aims to stimulate debate on public law issues and provides a forum for discussion and critical reflection on a wide range of public law issues, from the theory and practice of human rights to constitutional and administrative law, environmental law, regional governance and land reform. It publishes articles in the fields of constitutional and administrative law, human rights, constitutional and statutory interpretation, public international law, legal and constitutional theory, environmental law, local government law and closely related areas. Southern African Public Law aims to provide a space for scholars and intellectuals from the Southern African region in particular, and the African continent in general, to reflect on public law issues.

Job title: Editor-in-Chief - Southern African Public Law.

Reporting to: Southern African Public Law Editorial Board.

Appointment:

The Editor-in-Chief is a voluntary position appointed for a period of three years, renewable for a further three years.

The Editor-in-Chief is assisted by a team of Associate Editors and a Publications Editor.

The main responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include:

Providing editorial leadership and oversight of the journal to maintain its status as one of the leading African academic research journals.

Providing guidance on the day-to-day editorial matters of the journal.

To provide leadership in the peer review process: screening and selecting papers for review; assigning papers for peer review; and overseeing the peer review process.

Ensuring the rapid, efficient and professional review of all submitted articles.

Ensure that the journal produces two issues per year in a timely manner.

Organise or commission special issues of the journal.

To implement the vision and strategy set by the Editorial Board and report to the Editorial Board regularly.

To work with the Editorial Board, the owners of the journal at the University of South Africa (UNISA) College of Law, and the publisher, UNISA Press, to ensure the good standing, high academic standards, and success of the journal.

Editor-in-Chief Essential Criteria:

A doctorate in law

A record of publications in public law

Experience in managing or conducting research

Leadership skills with the ability to work collaboratively

A record of editing

Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills

Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to work to tight deadlines and manage multiple competing priorities

Application process:

1) Candidates should send a current full curriculum vitae.

2) A two-page cover letter explaining why you meet the requirements for the post of EIC.

3) Two letters of reference.

Applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates should be sent by email to Ms Tanja Botha at ebothat@unisa.ac.za by Sunday 25 February 2024.

Issued by Professor Jeremy Sarkin, Chair of the SAPL Editorial Board

5 February 2024

Special Issue on 30 Years of South African Democracy

Southern African Public Law — 2023-07-31

2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of democracy in South Africa. Since 1994, South Africa has experienced ebbs and flows. In the early days, South Africa’s democracy was seen as a success story. More recently, it has been classified as a ‘flawed democracy’. The thirtieth anniversary presents an opportunity to reflect on the past thirty years and envision the next thirty. To celebrate this anniversary and promote continued dialogue, the Southern African Public Law Journal (SAPL) is pleased to announce a call for papers on the following topics:

Constitutionalism and the rule of law in post-apartheid South Africa: This theme explores the evolution of constitutionalism and the rule of law in South Africa since the transition to democracy. It invites research on the development and interpretation of the South African Constitution, achievements and challenges of transformative constitutionalism, the role of constitutional institutions, and the challenges and achievements in upholding the rule of law in a diverse and transforming society.
The progress and challenges of South African democracy: This topic invites articles that examine the progress that has been made in South Africa’s democratic transition, as well as the challenges that remain. Articles could focus on the political, economic, and social dimensions of South African democracy, and the challenges that South Africa faces in maintaining a democratic society.
Human rights and social justice in the democratic era: This theme explores the advancements and setbacks in human rights and social justice in South Africa over the past three decades. Topics may include the protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, and social rights, efforts to address inequality and discrimination, and the impact of human rights litigation and advocacy.
Electoral and governance reforms in the democratic process: This theme focuses on electoral and governance reforms that have shaped South African democracy. It encompasses research on electoral systems, political party dynamics, the role of civil society in fostering accountable governance, and the challenges associated with promoting transparency, accountability, and participatory democracy.
The role of the judiciary in shaping democratic institutions: This theme examines the role of the judiciary in shaping democratic institutions and safeguarding constitutional principles. It encompasses research on judicial independence, the interpretation and application of constitutional rights, landmark judgments that have shaped democracy, and the relationship between the judiciary, other branches of government, and civil society.
Constitutional rights and the protection of vulnerable groups: This theme focuses on the protection of constitutional rights and the challenges faced by vulnerable groups in South African society. It invites articles on issues such as gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of children, persons with disabilities, migrants, and marginalised communities, and the efforts made to address historical injustices and ensure inclusivity.
Socio-economic rights and the pursuit of equality in South Africa: This theme explores the realisation of socio-economic rights in South Africa and the pursuit of equality. It encompasses issues such as access to education, healthcare, housing, social security, and employment, as well as the role of the state, civil society, and private actors in advancing socio-economic rights and reducing inequality.
Land reform, restitution, and the challenges of redress: This theme focuses on land reform and restitution efforts in South Africa, considering the challenges, achievements, and implications for democracy. Topics may include land redistribution, the restitution of land rights, the impact on agricultural practices and rural communities, and the role of customary law in land governance.
Transitional justice and truth and reconciliation initiatives: This theme explores transitional justice mechanisms, including truth and reconciliation commissions, in the aftermath of apartheid. It invites articles on the successes, limitations, and ongoing debates surrounding truth-telling, accountability, reparations, and the reconciliation process in South Africa.
International perspectives on South African democracy: This theme invites comparative studies and international perspectives on South African democracy. It encompasses research that situates South Africa’s democratic journey within a global context, examining lessons learned, comparative constitutionalism, and the impact of South Africa’s experience on democratic transitions in other countries.
The role of the media in South African democracy: This theme invites articles that examine the role of the media in South African democracy, both historically and in the present day. Articles could focus on the ways in which the media has contributed to South Africa’s democratic transition, the challenges that the media faces in a democratic society, and the future of the media in South Africa.
The future of democracy in South Africa:This theme invites articles that consider the future of democracy in South Africa, and the challenges that South Africa faces in maintaining a democratic society. Articles could focus on the threats to democracy in South Africa, the strategies that are being used to safeguard democracy, and the future of democracy in South Africa.
Any other relevant topics

STYLE AND AUTHOR GUIDELINES

We are looking for submissions that challenge the status quo and offer new insights into South African democracy. We welcome submissions from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. We also welcome different kinds of submissions, including artistic expression. We are open to new ideas, and if you would like to float an idea past our editorial team, please feel free to contact us. Standard articles must strictly follow the house style of Southern African Public Law (Author Guidelines).

SUBMISSION

Standard articles must contain an indented abstract of not more than 250 words and should not exceed 8 000 words (including the list of references). Case notes, journal notes, and book reviews should not exceed 3 000 words.

Submissions should made be via https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/SAPL/about/submissions.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Submission Deadline: 30 January 2024

Review Process: 1 February– 31 May 2024

Publication of Special Issue: July 2024

ENQUIRIES

For any enquiries about the Special Issue, contact the following:

Prof Babatunde Fagbayibo

babatunde.fagbayibo@up.ac.za

Mr Paul Mudau

mudaufp@unisa.ac.za

Call for Posts—Public Law Corner

Southern African Public Law — 2023-06-02

Call for Posts—Public Law Corner: Anniversary of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

2023 marks the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol. This landmark document is the first comprehensive human rights instrument dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of women in Africa. To celebrate this anniversary and promote continued dialogue about the strides and gains made toward achieving gender equality in Africa, Public Law Corner is pleased to announce a call for posts on the following topics:

Progress and challenges in implementing the Maputo Protocol: This topic invites posts that critically examine the progress made in the implementation of the Maputo Protocol over the past twenty years. Papers could focus on successes, challenges and obstacles encountered in implementing the protocol, including political, economic and social barriers to the full realisation of women's rights.
The intersection of culture, tradition and women's rights in Africa: This topic invites posts that explore the intersection between culture, tradition and women's rights in Africa. Posts could focus on how cultural and traditional practices impact women's rights and suggest strategies for promoting cultural change that is supportive of gender equality.
Women's rights in conflict and post-conflict contexts: This topic invites posts that examine the impact of conflict on women's rights and the role of the Maputo Protocol in promoting and protecting women's rights in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Posts could focus on the challenges and opportunities of implementing the protocol in such contexts.
Emerging issues and challenges in advancing women's rights in Africa: This topic invites posts that explore emerging issues and challenges in advancing women's rights in Africa. Posts could focus on emerging areas of concern, such as technology and the digital divide, as well as on persistent challenges, such as violence against women and discriminatory laws and practices.
Decolonial and Afro-Feminist reading(s) of the Maputo Protocol: This topic invites posts that probe the Maputo Protocol at a conceptual level. Posts would appreciate the #MustFall movement as one that occasioned a Decolonial Turn in the Global South and accept this as an epistemic invitation to urgently revisit various concepts that have been recognised as the gospel truth in the period after the official cessation of colonial and imperial conquests.

We welcome submissions from scholars, researchers, practitioners, and activists across disciplines, including law, social sciences, humanities, and other relevant fields. We welcome written blog posts and artistic expressions such as short stories and poetry.

Submission Guidelines:

Posts should be between 800–1300 words.

Submissions should be in English

Papers should be in MS Word format and use 12-point Times New Roman font, with double spacing.

Please upload submissions here.

Important Dates:

Deadline for submissions: 5 July 2023

We look forward to receiving your submissions and to advancing the discourse on women's rights in Africa.

Indigenous African Languages

Southern African Public Law — 2022-08-17

From 2023, the Southern African Public Law Journal (SAPL) will be devoting a part of its issues to the publication of commentaries on public law development across the continent in indigenous African languages (accompanied by the English translation). The imperative of presenting ideas and issues in indigenous African languages cannot be overstated. National and international normative and policy documents such as the African Union Agenda 2063, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the South African National Development Plan 2030 have all expressed this important goal.

In the context of legal development, the presentation of issues and strategies in the language most of the population can identify with has numerous advantages. One is that it contributes to the development of indigenous languages as a tool of development and ideational strategies. Secondly, it enhances familiarity and a sense of ownership by the people. In this sense, it humanises the law. Lastly, it opens the room for more interrogation and debate on what the law is and should be.

For more information about this process, you can contact the following persons: Babatunde Fagbayibo (babatunde.fagbayibo@up.ac.za); Aubrey Manthwa (manthat@unisa.ac.za); and Nina Mollema (mollen@unisa.ac.za).

Public Law Corner

Southern African Public Law — 2021-08-20

In association with the Southern African Public Law Journal (SAPL), the Public Law Corner (PLC) is a contemporary space for legal practitioners, students, academics, and people beyond the legal sector to engage with relevant and current legal issues related to public law. Our main aim is to amplify all voices and issues in public law that are often excluded from formal publications.

As a group of lawyers and academics working on and undertaking research in the public law space, we noticed a gap in digital media and academia: the absence of a digital media platform for legal researchers, academics, and activists. This idea was borne out of the frustration of people who were searching for a community with which to unpack legal developments, debate emerging legal trends, and reflect on the efficacy of law in advancing positive change.

PLC endeavours to create safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces for people to share their thoughts and insights on a diverse range of topics, from human rights to intellectual property, and customary law, to technology, and everything in between. We encourage robust debate around developing jurisprudence, law reform, and regional and international legal trends.

PLC will act as an extension of SAPL, as a platform where writers of varied backgrounds and interests can engage with new and interesting concepts, share ideas, and find innovative ways to make the law more accessible, tangible, and meaningful. We, therefore, welcome all legal practitioners, students, and academics to contribute short written articles, commentary, op-eds, artistic expressions and legal opinions to the PLC to bridge the gap between law and reality. Contributions will be published in the Public Law Corner (PLC) as a section in SAPL.

Author Guidelines

All submissions must be limited to a word count of 800-1300 words. Authors must ensure that they adhere to this word count, or alternatively request special permission from the editors if they seek to exceed the specified word count.

No abstracts, bibliographies and keywords are required.

Although subheadings are allowed, they are discouraged.

No footnotes are required, in-text citations are made via hyperlinks.

Make a new submission to the Public Law Corner section.

Call for Papers: The impact of Covid-19 on constitutionalism and the rule of law in Africa

Southern African Public Law — 2021-05-12

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the social, political and economic conditions of many African countries. This position has led to numerous, and varied, normative responses by African governments, African regional institutions and external actors. Some of these responses have curtailed fundamental rights, and in many cases, have been unable to effectively address the socio-economic challenges brought about by the pandemic.

It is against this background that the Southern Africa Public Law Journal (SAPL) invites authors to submit manuscripts for a special issue that critically evaluates the national and transnational policy and legal instruments aimed at combatting the effects of the pandemic, and more importantly, the impact of such documents on the constitutional rights of African citizens. We are particularly interested in articles that address how the Covid-19 pandemic affects, or will likely affect the following:

The right to health
Evictions and the right to housing
The right to protest, social and political gatherings, and the freedom of association
The right to vote and the management of elections
Labour rights
Social welfare and grants
The right of vulnerable/marginalised members of the society such as women, children, disabled persons, and the LGBTIQA+ community
The right to privacy
Use of force and militarization to enforce regulations
The right to education
The relationship between national and sub-regional/continental Covid-19 response strategies
Indigenous knowledge interventions in combatting the pandemic
Sub-regional and continental instruments on human rights; movement of persons; and trade and investment
Gender based violence
Digital rights
And other related themes

Substantive articles on any of the above-mentioned themes should not be more than 8,000 words (including footnotes and bibliography). We also welcome commentaries, case notes, poetic/artistic expressions, and headnotes on relevant legal (including soft law instruments) developments around the thematic focus of this special issue. These should not be more than 3,000 words (including footnotes and bibliography). You can find the submission guideline for the journal here.

The deadline for submission is 30 September 2021.

Please contact Babatunde Fagbayibo fagbabo@unisa.ac.za for any enquiries relating to this call for paper.

New Issue

Southern African Public Law — 2020-10-07

A new issue of Southern African Public Law has been published. Volume 35 (1) of 2020 is still in progress.

New Issue

Southern African Public Law — 2018-12-24

A new issue of Southern African Public Law has been published.