UP’s Professor Hansungule re-elected to International Commission of Jurists for third four-year term

Posted on July 31, 2019

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is pleased to announce that Professor Michelo Hansungule has been re-elected as Commissioner under the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). This will be the third term Prof Hansungule will serve as an ICJ Commissioner.

Prof Hansungule said he was humbled and honoured to have been re-elected by his peers for a straight third four-year term as commissioner.

“Humbled, because it is the peers that elect you based on your work. These are distinguished jurists and academics from around the world. Though they may not know you personally, they read and know your work and, based on that, feel the duty to endorse you among them,” he said adding that it was a great honour to be in the company of distinguished jurists such as former and serving chief justices, judges of appellate and trial courts, and some leading academics. 

Prof Hansungule will serve for four years. 

Sir Dawda Jawara, Founding President of independent Gambia and Prof Michelo Hansungule in Banjul, The Gambia (2018)

The global human rights non-governmental organisation is made up of 60 eminent jurists—including senior judges, attorneys and academics – and supports work towards an open society that is based on respect for the rule of law and the principles of democracy and human rights.

Speaking about the importance of the commission’s work, Prof Hansungule said commissioners worked in various parts of the world helping to develop standards and oversee their enforcement. They also participate in trial observations involving jurists and human rights defenders and suggest how to promote the rule of law.   

“From time to time, institutions of states around the world face enormous pressure from dictatorial regimes. Judges and other public institutions are personally punished by those who hold power over them simply for doing their jobs. Besides building institutions’ capacities to do their jobs, the ICJ defends judges and officials who face such difficult situations around the world,” he said.

The Centre wishes to congratulate Prof Hansungule on this exceptional achievement and his contribution to justice and human rights on the African continent.

Prof Hansungule is a Professor of Human Rights Law and the Academic Coordinator of the Master's Programme in Multidisciplinary Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria.

For a list of Commissioners from the African region, please visit the ICJ website.

- Author Centre for Human Rights

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