CLC senior researcher presents at Public Interest Law Gathering

On 12 July 2013, Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative’s Clare Ballard from the Community Law Centre delivered a presentation at the Public Interest Law Gathering (PILG) about judicial oversight in relation to the various forms of detention and the importance of the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture.

The PILG is an annual event held in Johannesburg, South Africa bringing together public interest legal practitioners and organisations, law students, paralegals, social movement leaders and legal academics with the aim of serving as a focal point for professionals in the field to share and develop knowledge. According to PILG organisers, the field of public interest litigation is expanding rapidly in South Africa, with an increasing amount of institutions engaging with law as a tool for social change.

Focusing on public interest litigation, the gathering is a collaborative knowledge-sharing exercise, as well as an opportunity to promote networking in the public interest community. We intend to facilitate greater collaboration within human rights and public interest litigation oriented organisations and to increase the skills of persons working in such organisations.

The event took place from 10 till 12 July at the Wits university School of Law in Johannesburg.