Prof Frans Viljoen
BLC LLB (Pret) LLM (Cantab) MA LLD (Pret)
Director: Centre for Human Rights
Professor of International Human Rights Law
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 3228
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Inaugural address

• Contemporary challenges to international human rights law and the role of human rights education
  11 May 2011

Research interests
African human rights law, African regional integration law, international human rights monitoring mechanisms, sexual minority rights in Africa; comparative constitutional law

Current projects

• Comparative constitutionalism – the apex courts in Brazil, India and South Africa
• Sexual minority rights in Africa
• Institutional and normative human rights proliferation
• Implementation/ compliance with human rights (law)

Editorial positions

• Editor-in-chief, African Human Rights Law Journal
• Co-editor, African Human Rights Law Reports

Teaching
Academic coordinator, LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa

Academic publications
2010

• “Reflections on the legal protection of indigenous peoples’ rights in Africa” in S Dersso (ed) Perspectives on the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples in Africa Pretoria: Pretoria University Law Press (2010) 75-94
• “State compliance with the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights” in M Baderin & M Ssenyonjo M (eds) International human rights law: Six decades after the UDHR Aldershot:Ashgate (2010)

2009

• “Exploring the theory and practice of the relationship between international human rights law and domestic actors” (2009) Leiden Journal of International Law 177 - 190

2008

• “Communications under the African Charter: Procedure and admissibility” in Murray, R and Evans, M (eds) The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: The system in practice, 1986-2006 (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
• “Model legislation and regional integration: Theory and practice of model legislation pertaining to HIV in SADC” (2008) De Iure 383 – 399

• International human rights law in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2007)
• Human rights under threat: Four perspectives on HIV, AIDS and the law in Southern Africa (co-editor, with S Precious) (PULP, 2007)
• “Towards non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation: The normative basis and procedural possibilities before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and the African Union“ (2007) 29 Human Rights Quarterly 86 – 111 (with R Murray)
• “State compliance with the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, 1993 - 2004" (2007) 101 American Journal of International Law 1 – 34 (with L Louw)

2006

• “Political participation of women in Lesotho: The case of Molefi Ts'epe v The Independent Electoral Commission and Others, judgment of 30 June 2005" (2006) 39 Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 351 – 360 (with M Nsibirwa)
• The Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment in the African Human Rights System: A Handbook for Victims and their Advocates, OMCT Handbook Series vol 3 (World Organisation against Torture, 2006) (with Chidi Odinkalu) 

2005

• “The Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa: Achievements and possibilities” (2005) 27 Human Rights Quarterly 125 – 171
• “Hate speech in Rwanda as a test case for international human rights law” (2005) 38 Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 1 – 14
• “Inciting violence and propagating hate through the media: Rwanda and the limits of international criminal law” (2005) 26 Obiter 26 – 40
• “Promising profiles: New members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights” (2005) 5 African Human Rights Law Journal 237 – 448
• “Disclosing in an age of AIDS: confidentiality and community in conflict?” in Viljoen, F (ed) Righting stigma: Exploring a rights-based approach to stigma Pretoria CSA 2005  

2004

• “Introduction to the African regional human rights system” in Heyns, CH (ed) Human rights law in Africa vol 1 Martinus Nijhoff The Hague 2004  
• “L’application de la Charte africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples par les autorites nationales en Afrique australe et orientale” in Flauss and Lambert-Abdelgawad (eds) L’application nationale de la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, Bruylant, Paris, 2004
• “Introduction to the African regional human rights system” in Heyns, CH (ed) Human rights law in Africa vol 1 Martinus Nijhoff The Hague 2004  
• “The status of the findings of the African Commission: From moral persuasion to legal obligation” (2004) 28 Journal of African Law 1 – 22 (with Lirette Louw)
• “Courts for Africa: Considering the co-existence of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court of Justice” (2004) 22 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 241 – 267
• “A Human Rights Court for Africa, and Africans” (2004) 30 Brooklyn Journal of International Law 1 – 66
• “The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: The Travaux préparatoires in the light of subsequent practice” (2004) 25 Human Rights Law Journal 313 – 326
• “Recent developments in the African regional human rights system” (2004) 4 African Human Rights Law Journal  344 – 352 
• “Fact-finding by UN human rights complaints bodies – Analysis and suggested reforms” (2004) 8 Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law 49 – 100