Press Release: International NGOs file papers for admission as friends of the court in Al Bashir matter

For Immediate Release: 8 February 2016

Today in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), the Peace and Justice Initiative and the Centre for Human Rights (PJI/CHR), represented by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), filed joint heads of argument in an application to be admitted as amici curiae (friends of the court) in the matter between the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Others v Southern African Litigation Centre (Al Bashir Case).

The Al Bashir case will be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday, 12 February 2016.  The LRC, on behalf of PJI/CHR, have been granted 30 minutes to address the SCA at the hearing.  PJI/CHR seek to rely on their collective domestic and international law experience to assist the SCA in reaching its decision.

The South African Government is appealing an order of the Gauteng Provisional Division, Pretoria, handed down on the 14 June 2015, and a subsequent judgment confirming the order, which directed the South African Government to arrest the President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, who was visiting South Africa as part of the Sudanese delegation at the African Union Summit held in Sandton.  Two warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for President Al Bashir’s arrest.

The South African Government argues that it could not arrest President Al Bashir, despite a court order compelling it to do so, because he enjoyed Head of State immunity.

In their joint heads of argument, PJI/CHR submit that the twin factors of the jus cogens nature of the crimes allegedly committed by President Al Bashir (in this case, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, which are completely prohibited under international law) and the ICC’s international nature preclude the application of Head of State immunity to President Al Bashir when South African courts cooperate with the ICC.

PJI/CHR argue further that, as a result of United Nations Security Council resolution 1593 (2005), the Rome Statute of the ICC (1998) has been imposed on Sudan with respect to the situation in Darfur and that, therefore, Sudan is akin to a State party to that treaty. As a result, South Africa would not have acted inconsistently with its obligations under international law in cooperating with the ICC with respect to the case concerning President Al Bashir.

Finally, PJI/CHR contend that, as a result of obligations arising from the Genocide Convention (1948), the drafting history of the Rome Statute of the ICC, and the need for access to justice for victims of jus cogens crimes in Darfur, South Africa was obligated to facilitate President Al Bashir’s transfer to the ICC in relation to events in Darfur.

The Peace and Justice Initiative (PJI) is a network of international criminal law professionals.  Their aim is to encourage and assist in the national adoption of laws under which crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes can be prosecuted and to provide expert technical assistance in such endeavours. PJI is registered as an NGO under Dutch law and have charitable status.

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) is based in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria since 1986.  It is an academic department and a non-governmental organisation.  Its key work includes working towards human rights education in Africa; raising a greater awareness of human rights; the wide dissemination of publications on human rights in Africa; the implementation of international law in Africa; and the improvement of the rights of women, people living with HIV, indigenous peoples, sexual minorities and other disadvantaged or marginalised persons or groups across the continent.
ENDS