Articles by Edwin Cameron

Our faulty approach to life sentences is catching up with us

Our prisons are crowded with “lifers”, at great cost to us all

Harsh prison terms won’t solve the crisis of gender-based violence

The certainty of arrest and prosecution, not long sentences, is what deters crime

Why we need to vaccinate prisoners now

Violence in prisons is increasing. The prisons watchdog needs more power to stop it

A Constitutional Court decision, awaited since March, will be crucial for the safety of inmates and wardens

Enemies of the nation: How the “war on drugs” has failed South Africa

Drug use is a social and health issue. It is not a criminal justice issue

Covid-19 and the perils of over-incarceration

Inspecting judge calls for prisoner releases

Our prisons are failing. They need to become correctional facilities

Our policies have become more punitive, yet our crime rate continues going up

How we internalise stigma and shame

Biko’s legacy can help us recognise the invader within

Minimum prison sentences must go, says Constitutional Court judge

They “are poorly-thought out, misdirected, hugely costly and an ineffective way of punishing criminals”

I owe my life to you, says judge

Edwin Cameron addresses scientists and activists at Durban Aids conference

Medicine patent system must be fixed

Current system is not developing enough of the drugs we need

The rabbi, the president and the Palestinians

On 23 November, Geoff Sifrin's book Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris – How humanity, morality and humour helped lead a community was launched at the Great Synagogue in Johannesburg. Judge Edwin Cameron delivered this speech. He addressed Harris's commitment to reaching out across the divides in the South African Jewish community as well as perhaps the most vexing question facing many Jews: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Fidelity and betrayal under the law

Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron delivered the Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture at Oxford University on 16 June. While much longer than pieces we normally carry, the speech is relevant to vital current issues and we present it here in full.

Justice: A Personal Account

Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron has published a new book, Justice: A Personal Account. It is a forceful defence of the rule of law and South Africa's Constitution.

Cameron to African leaders: End stigma against gays

This is an edited transcript of a speech by Judge Edwin Cameron on 28 June at the UNAIDS/LANCET Commissioners Dinner in Malawi. Cameron criticised stigmatising laws that hamper the response to HIV.