Latest content: Democracy, government and law

Today Commonwealth Law Ministers unanimously agreed to recommend the 'Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance' to Commonwealth Leaders to consider at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

Law Ministers are meeting in Mauritius to set clear directions on a range of legal, rule of law and justice issues.

A delegation led by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, arrived in Mauritius today ahead of the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting 2022 (CLMM).

A blog by Dr Elizabeth Macharia, Legal Adviser, Law Development Section, Governance and Peace Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat.

Following the Commonwealth Secretariat mission to Zimbabwe from 12 - 17 November 2022, Assistant Secretary-General, Prof Luis Franceschi, has said:

The Commonwealth Secretariat is in Mauritius this week working with the Government to train local law enforcement and help enhance their relationships with the diverse communities of the country through the teaching of applied human rights principles in policing.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is today confirming that a delegation, led by the Assistant Secretary-General, Prof. Luis Franceschi, will be visiting Harare, Zimbabwe, from Saturday 12 November until Thursday, 17 November 2022.

A training workshop on absentee voting for Commonwealth Election Professionals (CEP) based in the Pacific region opened today in Wellington, New Zealand, bringing together 23 participants from 14 Election Management Bodies (EMBs).

A Commonwealth team has commended the people of Lesotho for the atmosphere of peace and calm in which their general election was held. However, the Commonwealth Observer Group expressed concerns that the voter roll caused confusion and disenfranchised voters in some areas.

Lesotho’s general election is underway with voters heading to the polls to choose the Members of Parliament (MPs) who, in turn, will decide who becomes the next Prime Minister.

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth group assigned to observe the general elections in Lesotho has expressed his hopes for a peaceful process.

Last week, military judges from several Commonwealth countries met at Marlborough House for a formal dinner and presentation to discuss strategies for transforming military justice systems across the Commonwealth to guarantee the proper administration of justice, the due process of law and equal access to justice.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General has called for politicians and voters in Lesotho to commit to peace during the upcoming general election.

On 20-21 September, the Commonwealth Secretariat held a conference on addressing cybercrime in Asia, which saw law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges and magistrates, key domestic policymakers, international security experts, and academics deliberate on solutions to the region’s growing cybercrime and cybersecurity challenges.

The Commonwealth will deploy a team to observe the general elections in Lesotho, scheduled for 7 October, 2022. The group will be led by the former president of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure.

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, warmly congratulated Kenya’s President-Elect William Ruto on being declared the duly elected 5th President of Kenya.

The Commonwealth Observer Group which observed The Bahamas’ 2021 General Election has concluded that the election was credible, transparent and inclusive.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, has made the following statement about the 2022 Kenya Elections:

The Commonwealth Observer Group has been encouraged by the peaceful nature of the Kenya 2022 General Elections as the results process reached its conclusion.

The Commonwealth Observer Group has presented its interim findings on Kenya’s 2022 general elections at a press conference held in Nairobi. The Group deemed the election peaceful and transparent, and offered recommendations for consideration to improve future elections.

The polls have opened in Kenya and abroad in a harmonised election for the presidency, members of National Assembly and the Senate. County governors as well as members of the county assemblies and women representatives are also on the ballot.

We, the Heads of the international election observation and expert missions in Kenya, have been following preparations for the 9 August 2022 general elections by all stakeholders in Kenya, including the campaign activities of political parties, party coalitions, and candidates.