Law Links - September 2015

Professor Mutua, IDLO scholar-in-residence and rule of law activist, continues his world-wide work

Since this past spring, Makau Mutua, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Floyd H. and Hilda L. Hurst Faculty Scholar and former School of Law dean, has been Scholar-in-Residence at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) where he was also on the Board of Advisors.  From there, he helped IDLO organize a rule of law conference on Africa in Tanzania.  He has been working with former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa who will host the conference in February.

Mutua has also given the following talks:

  • September 12  - “Commemorating the Mau Mau,” at the Inauguration Ceremony for the Memorial to the Victims of Torture and Ill-Treatment during the Colonial Era (1952-1960), at Freedom Corner in  Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Kenya. [Watch a video of this event / Read more about this event]
  • September 7 - “Is IDLO a human rights organization?” at the International Development Law Organization held in Rome, Italy.
  • August 28 - “The Right to a Fair Trial,” at the Southern African Chief Justices’ Forum, International Commission of Jurists/Zimbabwe Judicial Service Commission held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. [Watch a video clip of Mutua’s remarks]
  • July 3 - “Moving towards a new Africa – What needs to be done?” at the African Leadership Forum organized by the Uongozi Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
  • May 21 - “The ICC and Africa: Future Prospects,” at the 2015 International Week Visit held in Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.

In July, Mutua also conducted a rule of law mission to Tanzania for IDLO, held discussions with President Kikwete, Minister for Justice Asha-Rose Migiro, and Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman.

Finally, on July 6, Mutua moderated the talk, “The Rule of Law is a Way of Life” given by Justice Albie Sachs, formerly of the Constitutional Court of South Africa at IDLO in Rome.