Legal luminaries from around the world met at South Africa’s constitutional court to discuss the Judiciary’s influence in effecting societal change, its relationship with the State and the marginalised and its role in breathing life into the rights to equality, free speech and life. Seminal human rights court cases, that retain their relevance despite the passage of time, served as catalysts for reflection, recollection and discussion by some of the world’s leading jurists. The first-hand accounts of some of those who had been involved in these cases lend poignancy and provide a unique insight into cases that have become common currency in human rights law. This book presents a record of fresh and inspiring perspectives on human rights law. Lively, engaging, responsive and open-ended discussions place cases in context while mapping their trajectories in society and across boundaries.  

Key Features

• First-hand accounts by leading legal practitioners of their involvement in the most important human rights cases of the last century.
• Sets out the context in which influential cases were decided and maps these cases’ trajectories. Cases' current relevance is shown.
• Contains summaries of key cases written in a journalistic style.
• Shows interrelatedness of judiciary and society.
• Includes a selection of photographs.
  
  

• Foreword by Albie Sachs and Kate O’Regan
• Equality, with reference to Brown v Board Education (introduced by Jack Greenberg) Attorney General v Dow (introduced by Unity Dow), Bhe (introduced by Dikgang Moseneke, Andrews v Law Society of British Columbia (introduced by Lynn Smith)
• The Integrity of the State, its Conduct, Officials and Regulation of the Economy, with reference to Liversidge v Anderson (introduced by Sydney Kentridge), detention without trial (introduced by Stephen Sedley), laws immunising public officials (introduced by Valeria Onida) and The Crown v Acres International (introduced by Mahapela Lehohla)
• Free speech with reference to New York Times v Sullivan (introduced by Tony Lewis) and Rwandan Genocide Tribunal (introduced by Navi Pillay) 
• From the margins, with reference to Olga Tellis (introduced by Soli Sorabjee) Grootboom (introduced by Zak Yacoob), Mabo v Queensland (introduced by Bob French)
• Reflections on emerging themes by Dieter Grimm and Athaliah Molokomme, 
• Case summaries of cases discussed
• A comprehensive index

• Constitutional lawyers
• Legal sociologists and historians
• Libraries