Toward a Global Consensus on Life Imprisonment Without Parole
Transnational Legal Advocates and the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court's Decision in Makoni v Commissioner of Prisons
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16766788 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew Novak (0000-0002-7049-1015, George Mason University, corresponding author), Andrew J Novak |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 315-327 |
| Publication date | 2018-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African Law (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0221-8553 • E-ISSN: 1464-3731 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0021855318000116 |
| OpenAlex | W2800766690 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
In June 2016, the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court held that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional, finding that it constituted cruel and degrading punishment and a violation of the right to equal protection under the country's new constitution. The court widely cited international and foreign law to assess global trends on life imprisonment, especially the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The decision illustrates the benefits for human rights advocates of citing international and foreign law in their pleadings, and is an example of “sharing” constitutional jurisprudence across borders and the diffusion of constitutional norms
Constitution · Constitutional court · Human rights · Imprisonment · Jurisprudence · Life imprisonment · Political science · Prison · Proportionality (law) · European Criminal Justice and Data Protection · Human Rights and Development · International Law and Human Rights · Law
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |