Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh
Expertise
Democracy and Political ParticipationHuman Rights
ICC and International Justice Mechanisms
Refugees, Migration, IDPs
Women's Rights
Details
Media
IBA Human Rights Institute condemns Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act The Global Legal Post Jun 15, 2023
Ramaphosa’s ICC gaffe underscores S African quandary over Putin invite Financial Times Apr 27, 2023
South Africa’s president and ANC sow confusion over leaving ICC The Guardian Apr 25, 2023
African Perspectives on the ICC: Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh Video Wayamo Foundation Dec 5, 2022
Explainer: What is ‘conversion therapy’? Open Democracy Apr 1, 2022
Out in the World: East Africa’s conversion therapy problem exposed Bay Area Reporter Jul 7, 2021
SADC must do more to ensure equitable vaccine access in Southern Africa Oped Daily Maverick May 17, 2021
Friday activist: Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh Profile in Daily Maverick Nov 12, 2020
Good news as South Africa affirms its commitment to accountability for international crimes Daily Maverick June 26, 2020
South Africa, Apartheid, Crimes against humanity and the Rule of Law: Quo Vadis? Oped Daily Maverick Feb. 21, 2020
Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh (@kaajal1) is a South African lawyer. She directs the Africa programme of the International Commission of Jurists, an international NGO dedicated to defending human rights and the rule of law worldwide.
Working in the human rights field for two decades, Kaajal has significant experience and expertise in asylum and refugee protection, migration, citizenship, and statelessness. She also has experience in international criminal justice and freedom of expression.
She was Executive Director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre 2015 – 2020 where she led strategic cases focused on human rights issues and in particular judicial independence, rule of law, international criminal justice, freedom of expression and association.
Kaajal has been involved in many precedent-setting human rights cases in South Africa, including one which declared the immigration detention of children unlawful. In 2015, her organization initiated much-publicized proceedings to have Sudan’s President Al-Bashir arrested in South Africa to face genocide and war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court.
She worked at Lawyers for Human Rights (South Africa) 2002- 2014 where she headed the Immigration Detention Monitoring Unit 2002-2007 and was Manager of the Refugee and Migrants Rights Programme 2007- 2014. Kaajal was employed at the International Organization for Migration from 2001-2002.
Kaajal sits on the boards of the Centre for Child Law, South African History Archive, Sonke Gender Justice and is the Board Chair of Freedom House’s Advancing Rights in Southern Africa Programme. She was Board Chair of the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa 2007-2011. She was on the board of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network 2017-2020.