African Workshops and The African Judicial and Human Rights Programmes

(funded by Irish Aid)

Annual Workshop for Chief Justices and Senior judiciary of African Countries

Since 1997 the Law School has organised an Annual Workshop for Chief Justices and Senior judiciary of African countries.  The Workshop takes place in August every year.  it has been attended by Chief Justices and other senior judges from over fourteen countries.  Those who have attended include Chief Justices of Botswana, Lesotho, The Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

Programme on Constitutionalism for the Judiciary of Tanzania

From 1997 to 1999, the Law School, in conjunction with the Faculty of Law of the University of Dar es Salaam, organised a programme on Constitutionalism for the Judiciary of Tanzania.  Fourteen members of the Tanzanian Judiciary came to Trinity in March 1997 and several members of the Law School, accompanied by a number of members of the Irish Judiciary, went to Dar es Salaam in September 1998 and September 1999.  The programme was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs. In March 2005, eight members of the Tanzanian Judiciary came to Trinity and in June 2006, members of the Law School, accompanied by members of the Irish Judiciary, went to Dar es Salaam for a workshop at the University of Dar es Salaam, in which over twenty members of the Tanzanian Judiciary participated.

 

African Human Rights and the Masters in Law

African Human Rights is a subject in the Master of Laws programme, taught by Professor William Binchy.  Among the themes considered are the African Charter on Human Rights and People's Rights and Protocols; freedom of expression; economic, social and cultural rights; liberty; customary law; gender equality; children's rights; fair trial rights; the right to development; ethnicity and the right to self-determination.

 

Public Lectures

The Law School organises public lectures on aspects of African constitutional and human rights law, delivered by eminent speakers. These have included Judge Pillay, Chief Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Chief Justice Nyalali of Tanzania, Chief Justice Gubbay of Zimbabwe, Chief Justice Arif of The Gambia, Chief Justice Sapire of Swaziland, Judges Goldstone and Regan of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Professor Jeremy Sarkin of the University of Western Cape, Dr. Emmanuel Quansah of the University of Botswana.  

 

Gambia Law Reports

The Law School has funded publication of the 1994-1997 volume of the Gambia Law Reports.  

 

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Library Resources

With the very substantial support of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Law School organised the provision of selected library resources for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

 

Irish-African Academic and Judicial Connections

The Law School has sought to develop connections with the Judiciary and legal academics in African countries.  With members of the Irish Judiciary, members of the Law School have visited the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the South African Law Reform Commission, the Law Society of South Africa, the courts of Botswana, Kenya, Swaziland and Tanzania, the University of Botswana, the University of  Dar es Salaam, the University of Swaziland, the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, the University of Durban Westville, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape.  In conjunction with the University of the Western Cape, the Law School has participated in two seminars, involving members of the South African and Irish Judiciary and members of the Law Faculty of the University of the Western Cape and of the Law School of Trinity College Dublin. There is a strong relationship between the Law School and the members of the Faculty of Law at the University of Dar es Salaam. 

 

Publications

The papers from the seminars organised by the University of the Western Cape and Trinity College Dublin have been published by Round Hall Sweet & Maxwell: Jeremey Sarkin & William Binchy eds., Human Rights, the Citizen and the State: South African and Irish Perspectives (2002) Round Hall Sweet & Maxwell and Jeremy Sarkin & William Binchy eds., The Administration of Justice in Comparative Perspective {Four Courts Press (2004). The papers from the seminars at the University of Dar es Salaam were published in June 2006: William Binchy & Catherine Finnegan eds Human Rights, Constitutionalism and the Judiciary: Tanzanian and Irish Perspectives.

Seminars for Botswana Magistracy

The Law School has involved itself, in conjunction with the Supreme Court of Botswana, in the organisation of, and support for, three seminars for the Botswana Magistracy, chaired by the Chief Justice of Ngununu of Botswana, in Gaborone.

 

Contacts

Professor William Binchy (Principal Investigator), Telephone (+353) (0)1 896 2297

Catherine Finnegan Telephone (+353) (0)1 896 2367

School of Law, House 39, New Square, Trinity College, Dublin 2

 

This project was funded by Irish Aid.

Last modified by Catherine Finnegan

• Projects
• PRILA
• Staff Publications
• Current Research Students
• Visiting Academics and Scholars
• Dublin University Law Journal
• Irish Supreme Court Review
• Irish Centre for European Law