How civil society can contribute to effective prosecutions

Civil society in South Africa needs to both support the prosecution service and hold it accountable.

The relationship between the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and civil society has been strained due to the NPA’s poor leadership, inadequate performance and perceived lack of independence. The appointment of a new National Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019 gave civil society an opportunity to engage the NPA in a more constructive manner. This policy brief shows how civil society can help improve NPA performance and enhance its independence and accountability.

About the authors

Gareth Newham is Head of the Justice and Violence Prevention programme at the ISS. He chaired the various civil society meetings to explore ideas for supporting prosecutorial reform.

Miché Roberts is a Junior Researcher in the Justice and Violence Prevention programme at the ISS. She works on the ISS NPA Technical Assistance Project.