Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T22:04:24.662Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Justiciability of Socio-Economic Rights in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2013

Bonolo Ramadi Dinokopila
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights remains a challenge in many countries. This is generally attributable to the inadequacy of a particular country's legal framework, in particular its constitutional framework. Given the importance of judicial remedies in litigation, in particular public interest litigation, this article considers possibilities for the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in Botswana. It discusses the institutional, legal and constitutional framework for the promotion, protection and fulfilment of socio-economic rights in the country. It also tackles the issue of whether the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights is easily achievable when those rights are not constitutionally entrenched. The article also considers whether the absence of directive principles of state policy within Botswana's Constitution is a hindrance to the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in Botswana. Within that context, it highlights the possible means of judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in Botswana.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , April 2013 , pp. 108 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Ni Aolain, F and McKeever, G “Thinking globally, acting locally: Enforcing socio-economic rights in Northern Ireland” (2004) European Human Rights Law Review 158 at 158.Google Scholar

2 Ibid.

3 Kumar, RA “Constitutional rights and judicial activism: Bridging the gaps in Botswana” in Quansah, E and Binchy, W (eds) The Judicial Protection of Human Rights in Botswana (2009, Clarus Press) 119 at 121.Google Scholar

4 Stakeholders' information on Botswana, submitted by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa, 13 June 2008, available at: <http://www.upr-info.org/IMG/pdf/Centre_for_Human_Rights_University_of_Pretoria_Botswana_E_2008.pdf> (last accessed 15 April 2009).

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 Quansah, EK “Law, religion and human rights in Botswana” (2008) 8/2African Human Rights Journal 486 at 491.Google Scholar

8 Ibid. See a purposive interpretation of the Constitution in Dow v Attorney General [1992] BLR 119 where the court interpreted the Constitution to have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex despite that not being included in the grounds of discrimination under the Constitution.

9 The Constitution, sec 4.

10 Id, sec 5.

11 Id, sec 6.

12 Id, sec 7. See Petrus and Another v The State [1984] BLR 14, addressing the issue of corporal punishment and holding that corporal punishment was inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to internationally acceptable standards.

13 The Constitution, sec 12.

14 Id, sec 15. See generally Fombad, CM “The constitutional protection against discrimination in Botswana” (2004) 53 The International and Comparative Law Quarterly 139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

15 Id, sec 9. See Kanane v The State [2003] 2 BLR 67 where the Court of Appeal was of the view that gay men do not represent a group or class which requires protection. Refusing to decriminalize same sex relations or declaring relevant sections of the penal code as constitutional, the court held further that the time had not arrived for the adoption of progressive trends taking place elsewhere. See further Quansah, EK “Same-sex relationships in Botswana: Current perspectives and future prospects” (2004) 4/2African Human Rights Law Journal 201Google Scholar; Bojosi, KN “An opportunity missed for gay rights in Botswana: Utjiwa Kanane v The State” (2004) 20 South African Journal on Human Rights 466CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Chilisa, MM “Two steps back for human rights: A critique of the Kanane case” (2007) 1 The Botswana Review of Ethics, Law & HIV/Aids 45.Google Scholar

16 Id, sec 8.

17 Id, sec 5. See Quansah “Law, religion and human rights”, above at note 7.

18 Id, sec 10.

19 Attorney General v Dow [1992] BLR 119; Kenneth Good v The Attorney General [2005] 1 BLR 462.

20 Ibid.

21 Amadou Oury Bah v Libyan Embassy 2006 (1) BLR 22 (IC) 25.

22 The Constitution, sec 18.

23 Ibid.

24 Id, sec 18(2).

25 Ibid.

26 E Keoreng “Ombudsman calls for human rights commission for Botswana” (17 April 2009) Mmegi, available at: <http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=13&dir=2009/April/Friday17> (last accessed 9 January 2010).

27 See generally Fombad, CM “The enhancement of good governance in Botswana: A critical assessment of the Ombudsman Act, 1995” (2001) 27/1Journal of Southern African Studies 57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

28 See the African Commission decision in Purohit and Another v The Gambia [2003] AHRLR 96 where the African Commission, in acknowledgement of the lack of resources in Africa, read into the right to health the qualification of availability of resources: Viljoen, FInternational Human Rights Law in Africa (2007, Oxford University Press) at 240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

29 Mbazira, C “Enforcing the economic, social and cultural rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights: Twenty years redundancy, progression and significant strides” (2006) 6/2African Human Rights Law Journal 333 at 338.Google Scholar

30 Id at 340.

31 African Women's Protocol, arts 12–18.

32 ACRWC, arts 11, 12, 14 and 18.

33 African Charter, art 16.

34 Id, art 17.

35 Id, art 20.

36 Id, art 22.

37 Id, art 24.

38 Ibe, S “Beyond justiciability: Realising the promise of socio-economic rights in Nigeria” (2007) 7/1African Human Rights Law Journal 229.Google Scholar

39 Viljoen International Human Rights Law, above at note 28 at 237.

40 Mbazira “Enforcing the economic, social and cultural rights”, above at note 29.

41 Social and Economic Rights Centre and Another v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 60 (ACHPR 2001); Media Rights Agenda and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 200 (ACHPR 1998); Free Legal Assistance Group and Another v Zaire (2000) AHRLR 74 (ACHPR 1995); Purohit, above at note 28; Union Interafricaine des Droits de l'Homme and Others v Angola (2000) AHRLR 18 (ACHPR 1997); International Pen and Others (on behalf of Saro-Wiwa) v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 212 (ACHPR 1998); Malawi African Association and Others v Mauritania (2000) AHRLR 149 (ACHPR 2000).

42 Mbazira “Enforcing the economic, social and cultural rights”, above at note 29 at 338; Odinkalu, OC “Implementing economic, social and cultural rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights” in Evans, M and Murray, R (eds) The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights: The System in Practice, 1986–2000 (2002, Cambridge University Press) 178 at 181.Google Scholar

43 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action: UN GABOR world conference on human rights, 40th session, 2nd plenary meeting, part 1, 5: UN doc A/CONF.157/24 (1993), reprinted in (1993) 32 International Legal Materials 1661. Steiner, HJ, Alston, P and Goodman, RInternational Human Rights In Context: Law, Politics, Morals (3rd ed, 2008, Clarendon Press) at 263;Google ScholarHarris-Short, S “International human rights law: Imperialist, inept and ineffective? Cultural relativism and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child” (2003) Human Rights Quarterly 131.Google Scholar

44 See generally: Ditshwanelo - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights “Shadow report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination” (68th session, Geneva, 3–6 March 2006) at 10.

45 Ibid.

46 Ibid.

47 MISCA no 52 of 2002 reported as Sesana and Others v The Attorney General 2002 1 BLR 452 (HC). For the purpose of this article, reference will be made to the original judgment. For a detailed discussion of this case, see Ng'ong'ola, C “Sneaking the aboriginal title into Botswana legal system through a side door: Review of Sesana and Others v The Attorney General” (2007) 6 University of Botswana Law Journal 108.Google Scholar

48 Court of Appeal, CALB–074-10 (unreported). For a detailed discussion of this case, see Dinokopila, BR “The right to water in Botswana: A review of the Matsipane Mosetlhanyane case” (2011) 11/1African Human Rights Law Journal 282.Google Scholar

49 Sesana, above at note 47 at para 121 with Justice Unity Dow dissenting.

50 Id at paras 137–38.

51 Matsipane Mosetlhanyane, above at note 48 at para 1.

52 The applicants contended that the termination of services was both unlawful and unconstitutional on two grounds, that: the applicants enjoyed a legitimate expectation that they would be consulted before their services were terminated, but they were not consulted; and the termination was in breach of the National Parks and Game Reserve Regulations 2000.

53 Forsyth, C “The protection of legitimate expectations: The pitfalls for Botswana to avoid” (2006) 3 University of Botswana Law Journal 5.Google Scholar

54 Sesana, above at note 47 at para 137.

55 Id at para 138.

56 Id at para 48.

57 Id at para 49.

58 Id at para 57.

59 Id at para H13.

60 Id at para H16.

61 Id at para H1.2.

62 Forsyth “The protection of legitimate expectations”, above at note 53.

63 Sesana, above at note 47 at para 55.

64 Eisenberg, T and Yeazell, S “The ordinary and the extraordinary in institutional litigation” (1980) 93 Harvard Law Review 465.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

65 Government of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Grootboom and Others (CCT11/00) [2000] ZACC 19, 2001 (1) SA 46, 2000 (11) BCLR 1169 (Grootboom); Minister of Health and Others v Treatment Action Campaign and Others (No 2) 2002 (5) SA 721 (CC) (Treatment Action Campaign).

66 R v East Sussex ex parte Tandy [1998] AC 714, [1998] 2 All ER 769; Gosselin v Quebec (Attorney General) [2002] 4 SCR 429, 2002 SCC 84.

67 Treatment Action Campaign, above at note 65.

68 P Miamingi “Inclusion by exclusion? As assessment of the justiciability of socio-economic rights under the 2005 Interim Constitution of the Sudan” (unpublished LLM thesis, University of Pretoria, 2008) at 17.

69 Francis Coralie Mullin v Union Territory of Delhi AIR (1981) SC (2) 516 at 529.

70 (1996) 4 SCC 37.

71 Id at 38.

72 Ibid.

73 (1993) 1 SCC 645 at 730.

74 Id at 735.

75 MC Mehta v Union of India (1987) 4 SCC 463; Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v Union of India (1996) 5 SCC 647.

76 Muralidhar, S “Economic, social & cultural rights: An Indian response to the justiciability debate” in Ghai, Y and Cottrell, JEconomic, Social & Cultural Rights in Practice: The Role of Judges in Implementing Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (2004, Interights) 23 at 25.Google Scholar

77 (1981) SCR 516.

78 Id at 529 B–F.

79 (2004) AHRLR 195 (LeCA 2004).

80 Id at 196 (emphasis added).

81 Para 19, (CCT32/97) [1997] ZACC 17; 1998 (1) SA 765 (CC); 1997 (12) BCLR 1696 (27 November 1997).

82 See a detailed discussion of this case in Viljoen International Human Rights Law, above at note 28 at 579 where he highlights, among other things: “By suggesting that its approach is superior or ‘logically correct’, the Lesotho Court of Appeal displays an arrogant lack of insight into the contingency of its own finding.”

83 Okere, BO “Objectives and directive principles of state policy under the Nigerian Constitution” 1983 (32) The International and Comparative Law Quarterly 214 at 221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

84 (2000) AHRLR 293 (ACHPR 2000) at para 19.

85 Liebenberg, S “The value of human dignity in interpreting socio-economic rights” (2005) 21 South African Journal of Human Rights 1 at 16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

86 See generally AP James “The forgotten rights: The case for the legal enforcement of socio-economic rights in the UK national law” (2007), available at: <www.ucl.ac.uk/opticon1826/archive/issue2/VfPLAW_SE_rights.pdf> (last accessed 3 March 2011).

87 (2000) 2 WLR 622.

88 Mbazira, CLitigating Economic and Social Rights in South Africa: A Choice between Corrective and Distributed Justice (2009, Pretoria University Law Press) at 165.Google Scholar

89 Ibid.

90 Ibid.

91 See generally the following articles on judicial activism: Kumar “Constitutional rights and judicial activism”, above at note 3; Okere, BO “Judicial activism or passivity in interpreting the Nigerian Constitution” (1987) 36 The International and Comparative Law Quarterly 788.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

92 G Whyte (Law School, Trinity College Dublin) “Socio-economic rights in Ireland: Judicial and non-judicial enforcement” (draft paper presented at the Irish Human Rights Commission Conference on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 9 December 2005), available at: <www.ihrc.ie/download/doc/ecrgerardfwhyte.doc> (accessed 6 January 2010).

93 Gubbay, AR “The protection and enforcement of fundamental human rights: The Zimbabwean experience” (1997) 21 Human Rights Quarterly 227 at 254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar