Why a Criminal Justice Programme?

One of the key challenges facing South Africa in its transition to democracy has been the dramatic increase in violent crime. At the time of the first democratic elections in 1994, our criminal justice system was not designed to serve all South Africans within a human rights framework. It could not respond adequately to the crime challenges facing the country. Because of this citizens have become increasingly frustrated, calling for harsher measures against criminal suspects - and increasingly taking the law into their own hands.

The criminal justice system is undergoing a transformation process to become more effective. It is therefore important that there is constant support for building respect for the rule of law while simultaneously promoting a human rights culture. It is within this context that the need for our work arose.