Presented by
Speaker – Judge Dire Tladi

Dire Tladi was sworn in as judge of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in February 2024. Prior to that, Tladi was professor of international law and holder of the NRF SARChI Chair in International Constitutional Law at the University of Pretoria. He was previously chair and member of the UN International Law Commission and its special rapporteur on Peremptory Norms of General International Law (Jus Cogens).  He was president of the South African Branch of the International Law Association and was also special adviser to the South African Minister of International Relations. He was legal adviser to the South African Ministry of International Relations and the legal counsel to the South African Mission to the United Nations in New York. He has published widely in international law. Tladi is also the author of two works of fiction.

Abstract

There are few things more powerful in international relations than “the narrative”, which is to say, the generally accepted truth. Whether we are talking of climate change, geopolitics or global health, people are often vilified for expressing a view different from that of the narrative. This vilification is also sometimes directed at judges in the international system. On the one hand, these narratives are often said to be based on humanitarian values and the search for a better world. At the same time, not only to do narratives imperil freedom of thought and expression, they also undermine critical thinking.

Date:     
Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Time:    
18:00 (SAST)
Doors open at 17:15

Venue:   
LT1 Kramer Law Building
Middle Campus Rondebosch
Cape Town