"First, this dissertation proposes to explore the practice of amnesties in dealing with violations of human rights vis-à-vis the obligation of states to punish and to prosecute gross violations of human rights and to guarantee effective remedies for victims. Secondly, it seeks to inquire, for purposes of meeting the first objective, into the validity of amnesties in international law with specific reference to the African Charter. Thirdly, on the strength of a selected case studies: South Africa and Moçambique, and informed by relevant jurisprudence drawn from the Inter-American human rights system and elsewhere, a critique informative of the recommendations as to how the African Court should deal with cases arising out of such amnesty situations will be attempted. Equally, similar reference will be made, albeit in an abridged way, to how amnesties could be dealt with at the political levels of the African Union (AU). Fourthly, the dissertation will inquire into why amnesties, which have been used to advance utilitarian ends of the communal good (national reconciliation) thereby ‘trumping individuals’ rights’, cannot at the same time, be so fashioned as to reconcile these especially relating to effective remedies for violations of human rights the amnesty seeks to address. Fifthly, in drawing on the foregoing, this study will, by way of recommendations, seek to outline criteria or conditionalities upon which amnesty should, if ever, be granted. ... The study consists of five chapters. Chapter one will provide the context in which the study is set. It highlights the basis and structure of the study. Chapter two endeavours to outline some of the basic concepts central to the study; amnesty, pardon as instruments of national reconciliation and the various avenues through which these has been effected in the past. In the main, the chapter attempts a problematisation of the concept of amnesty by which its validity and place in international law will be examined. Chapter three outlines the approaches to amnesty in South Africa and Moçambique and the countervailing state obligations to ensure rights protected in human rights instruments: to prosecute and punish violators and the rights of victims and their relatives to effective remedies. In the case of South Africa, the right to effective remedies is discussed within the context of the decision of the South African constitutional court in AZAPO. Chapter four attempts to grapple with the possibility of bringing a case before the African Court of Human Rights and how this case may, and should be decided in light of existing decisions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and available comparative jurisprudence on the subject. Chapter five will consist of a summary of the presentation and the conclusions drawn from the entire study. It will also make some recommendations as to how amnesty should be dealt with both at political level (AU) and at the level of the African Court in relation to human rights violations. In furtherance of this, it attempts an outline of directive criteria that should be applied." -- Chapter 1. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2004. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Public administration plays a major role in some countries that benefits citizens and government. Therefore, the government needs to uphold a standard of effectiveness in public administration. Research has been done in effectiveness in public administration in individual countries with limited research on certain aspects. However, not much research has been done on effectiveness of public administration which is linked to case management in Scandinavian countries. In the Swedish Administration Act, an efficiency principle has been incorporated which provides an opportunity for the delay in the case of delayed processing. At present there is no such opportunity in Norway. Aim to clarify what protection there is for individuals against delay in case management in Swedish and Norwegian law and whether this is consistent with the international commitments to which the countries are bound, primarily the principle of efficiency. The purpose is therefore to clarify what applies in each country, and to compare protection in both countries and whether this is compatible with international law, primarily the European Convention and EU law. Two methods have been used: the legal dogmatic and the comparative method. The result indicates that there is clearly that both countries tried to reduce resources in administrative case management by simplifying the rule. But this is not closed to meeting the requirement for efficiency in case management. Imposing penalties for case handling are not enough if there is no effective remedy that can uphold international law. Consequently, the delay speech without effective remedies will not lead to any major changes in practice in Swedish law. Norway is in the process of reviewing its provisions. This study is expected to draw attention to international law that is linked to public administration.

Internationally, the debate on business and human rights has evolved within the last decade, with more efforts being made to address the issue of what role corporations play in the human rights domain. The latest international effort to address the issue was the adoption of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework” by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011. In brief, the Guiding Principles observe that the state must protect human rights, that businesses must respect human rights, and that there should be effective remedies for human rights violations. Locally, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that mineworkers who are eligible to get compensation under the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act had a common law right to sue the employer for injuries sustained at work. This was despite the fact that legislation was put in place to replace the common law liability of an employer for injuries or death sustained at work. On a broader scale, the Guiding Principles then formed the yardstick for the determination of whether there are adequate and effective remedies for human rights violations in the South African mining industry. The investigation essentially leads to the conclusion that the South African state has not fallen short of its duty to protect and to provide sufficient remedies for businessrelated human rights violations in the mining industry. The forums are in place and there is legislation that also provides for compensation as remedies for either injuries or death at work. Some issues of concern are the accessibility of the structures in place to address human rights violations, the disparity between compensation provided for in different legislation, and the lack of a more proactive approach by the Human Rights Commission. / LLM (Import and export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Internationally, the debate on business and human rights has evolved within the last decade, with more efforts being made to address the issue of what role corporations play in the human rights domain. The latest international effort to address the issue was the adoption of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework” by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011. In brief, the Guiding Principles observe that the state must protect human rights, that businesses must respect human rights, and that there should be effective remedies for human rights violations. Locally, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that mineworkers who are eligible to get compensation under the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act had a common law right to sue the employer for injuries sustained at work. This was despite the fact that legislation was put in place to replace the common law liability of an employer for injuries or death sustained at work. On a broader scale, the Guiding Principles then formed the yardstick for the determination of whether there are adequate and effective remedies for human rights violations in the South African mining industry. The investigation essentially leads to the conclusion that the South African state has not fallen short of its duty to protect and to provide sufficient remedies for businessrelated human rights violations in the mining industry. The forums are in place and there is legislation that also provides for compensation as remedies for either injuries or death at work. Some issues of concern are the accessibility of the structures in place to address human rights violations, the disparity between compensation provided for in different legislation, and the lack of a more proactive approach by the Human Rights Commission. / LLM (Import and export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014