Since the last decade of the twentieth century the number of international and transnational judges has burgeoned. There are now in excess of 100 international courts and tribunals, with thousands of international judges who sit on them. They come from all corners of the globe and bring with them the experience of many systems of justice.
This paper tracks the first years of the South African Constitutional Court. The author provides insight into the unusual two-stage process through which South Africa's Constitution was developed, and explains the role that the Constitutional Court played in certifying the text of the final Constitution. the paper the n describes the initial meetings of the new Constitutional Court. The Court thought it imperative to demonstrate to the people of South Africa that the values of the new Constitution were reflected in the manner in which the Court conducted its business. Thus, the Court's early administrative decisions, from the question of how the justices would robe to the design of the courtroom, reflected the Constitutional Court's commitment to the values of human dignity, equality, accountability and openness. Foreign jurisprudence featured prominently in the early judgments of the Constitutional Court. In particular, Canadian Charter jurisprudence significantly influenced the Court's interpretation of South Africa's Bill of Rights. The paper also discusses notable instances in which the Constitutional Court struck out in new directions. The author concludes that remarkable progress has been made in South Africa since the end of Apartheid. In its short life, the Constitutional Court has built a positive reputation that is recognized throughout the democratic world, particularly in the area of social and economic rights.
The Kosovo Report: Conflict, International Response, Lessons Learned, published in Oct 2000 with an addendum in Oct 2001, the work of an independent commission, concluded that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military response to the oppression & ethnic cleansing of the Serbs in Kosovo was in violation of international law, since it was undertaken without UN Security Council authorization; however, it was nonetheless politically & morally justified. The commission recommended conditional independence for Kosovo. The Albanian majority is expected to accept the set borders, constitutionally guarantee human rights, renounce violence in internal or external disputes, & promote regional cooperation. The UN will, however, need to grant them enough power to learn from their mistakes, rather than leaving the country in a stage of colonial tutelage. NATO members have a responsibility to go beyond their initial intervention to a full commitment to the future of Kosovo & the region. L. A. Hoffman
