Theories Of Justice In The Constitution Of The Republic Of South Africa (Abstract only)

Starting in 1910, the Union of South Africa (under British dominion) instituted segregation by race as the official policy of government. In 1948, the Afrikaner Nationalist Party instituted Apartheid (from the Afrikaans word meaning “apartness” or “separateness”) by law. Facing intense domestic and international pressure, the country’s leaders reluctantly agreed to negotiate with oppositional leaders (including Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned in Robben Island for convictions related to revolution and sabotage against the oppressive government in 1964). Mandela was released from prison in 1990, and in 1994, he was elected President of the Republic of South Africa in the first free election open to all in the history of the country. Two years later, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa was adopted and certified. Theories of Justice in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa introduces four major theories of or approaches to justice and presents an analysis of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa—virtue based theories, libertarianism, egalitarianism, and utilitarianism. The poster defines the four approaches to justice. Then, the poster illustrates how each theory of justice is included in the Constitution, with specific references to the chapters and sections of the document that pertain to each theory. The primary purposes are to document what justice means to people in South Africa and to identify the implications for and expectations of government that stem from these conceptions of justice. The poster ends with major challenges confronting the current government of South Africa.