Recent decades have witnessed an increased role for civil society in international law making and the development of international institutions. The design, legal framework and establishment of the International Criminal Court is a key example of this trend. Yet, once international institutions are established, there are few opportunities and mechanisms for civil society to participate directly within the formal proceedings of such institutions, with participation largely limited to states.

Nevertheless, civil society groups in Africa are seeking to utilise international and domestic legal frameworks to pursue justice for international crimes committed around the continent and the globe. Indeed, civil society organisations are already playing a key role in domestic international criminal justice procedures in several African countries, with South Africa being a prominent example, as well as before international criminal tribunals, including the International Criminal Court.

The theme of Civil Society and International Criminal Justice in Africa is the contribution of African civil society organisations to international, regional and national international criminal justice mechanisms. This volume provides a number of perspectives on this theme, with contributions from academics, practitioners, and civil society representatives. 

 Part I: Focus on the international criminal court

• International criminal law, the International Criminal Court, and civil society - John Dugard
• Prosecutorial discretion and victims’ rights at the International Criminal Court: Demarcating the battle lines - Carla Ferstman
• Civil society and amicus curiae interventions in the International Criminal Court - Sarah Williams and Emma Palmer
• Challenges for international criminal justice in Africa and the role of civil society - Elise Keppler
• Back to the future? Civil society, the “turn to complementarity” in Africa and some critical concerns - Christopher Gevers

Part II: Focus on South Africa

• Partners in complementarity: The role of civil society in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in South Africa - Hannah Woolaver
• Civil society, “positive complementarity” and the “Torture Docket” case - Max du Plessis and Christopher Gevers

Part III: Focus on transitional justice

• Crisis and contradiction: Justice reform, civil society and Zimbabwe’s long transition - Mark Shaw
• An essential intervention: Civil society responses to redressing and preventing violence against women in post-apartheid South Africa - Andrea Durbach
• The role of African civil society in shaping national transitional justice agendas and policies - Hugo van der Merwe and Jasmina Brankovic

Part IV: Observations from the field

• The case for a victim-friendly ICC: Reparations and the conflict in Northern Uganda - Špela Kunej and Victor Ochen
• A call to action: National bar associations as key civil society actors for the promotion of international criminal justice in Africa - Tosin Osasona
• The Zimbabwe Torture Case: Reflections on domestic litigation for international crimes in Africa - Angela Mudukuti

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• Legal practitioners