HSF Briefs

The first brief in this series introduced the concept of Universal Health Coverage, as defined by the World Health Organisation. It looked at how the NHI White Paper released late last year conceives of UHC, and posited that this ambitious single payer system should not be rushed into before other financing systems are considered. This brief describes the UHC systems in Austria and Germany.

The first brief in a five part series contributed to by both Andrew Barlow and Charles Simkins. This brief plays a general and introductory role; as well as considering the conditions needed for UHC success.

Andrew Barlow looks to Brazil and recent developments regarding Dilma Rousseff's impeachment. He argues that there are lessons for our own President to draw on.

Charles Simkins looks at the the IMF's April 2016 World Economic Outlook and where this leaves South Africa, both now and in the years to come.

A message from the Director following the High Court's dismissal of the urgent court application brought against Ntlemeza by the Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law.

This Brief discusses the Maiden's Bursary Scheme and issues around virginity testing

In Part I of this brief, I explained that although the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal in the Southern African Litigation Centre matter, involving Mr Al-Bashir, represents an important victory in the struggle for international justice, it is potentially quite limited in its future scope and impact. I then outlined the nature of South Africa’s political community—a sovereign state that is also a member of the family of nations—and thereafter connected this conception of statehood to crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. In doing so, I explained that these crimes, by their nature, harm all people everywhere. In this brief, I explain why these crimes also directly violate the Constitution. I also argue that the nature of this violation is such that it renders unconstitutional and therefore not binding any rule, either international or domestic, that purports to afford sitting heads of state absolute immunity in relation to such crimes.

Last Friday, 8 April 2016, the Minister of Justice and others filed papers in the Constitutional Court. They are appealing the Supreme Court of Appeal’s finding that government’s failure to take steps to arrest and detain, for surrender to the ICC, Mr Al-Bashir when he visited South Africa in 2015 was unlawful.