African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice (ACTCJ)

The African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice (formerly the South African-German Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice) was originally established in 2008 and existed for over a decade before it was re-established under its current name in 2020.

The mission of the Centre is to undertake cutting-edge research in its research niche, train subject specialists and experts equipped with the necessary skills to work in the field of international criminal law, transitional justice, transnational organised crimes and related fields both at the local, regional and international levels, whether in academia or industry. Through its research and academic events, the Centre provides a platform for critical and engaged scholarship that responds to the myriad challenges confronting the African continent in a rapidly changing and interconnected world. For more information, visit the university’s website: https://law.uwc.ac.za/centres/african-centre-for-transnational-criminal-justice/

The ACTCJ builds on previous activities, exchange and cooperation in the field of international and transnational criminal justice through the South African-German Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice.

The History of the Center 

The South African-German Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice was established in 2008 and was shut down in 2018. It was one of seven Centres of African Excellence, supported by the German Academic Exchange Service with funds from the German Foreign Office. The Centre was based on a cooperation between Humboldt-University of Berlin and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and was housed in the Law Faculty of UWC. It offered the LL.M.- and PhD-programme “Transnational Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention – An International and African Perspective”.

The LL.M. programme comprised the modules Transitional Justice, International Criminal Law, Law Relating to Organised Crime and Money Laundering, as well as International Anti-Corruption Law. The lectures were delivered by permanent teaching staff and visiting experts. During the mid-year vacation, the students travelled to Germany for a two-week summer school at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Students who passed all their modules and the research paper (final thesis) were awarded an LL.M. degree. At the end of the second semester, the candidates had to present a research paper (LL.M. thesis) in a module of their choice, which demonstrated the candidate’s ability to conduct independent research. Each year two scholarships for a PhD were offered to graduates of the LL.M. course or graduates of other Universities.

At Humboldt-University of Berlin, the African-German Research Network on Transnational Criminal Justice was established in 2019 as a platform for cooperation between the former South African-German Centre’s Alumnae and Alumni and other scholars and practitioners. From 2019 to 2023 the Network was funded by the DAAD as part of the African Excellence Programme. Please find out more about the Network here: https://transcrim.org.

At the University of the Western Cape, the African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice (ACTCJ) was established in 2020 with its own LL.M. programme.

The African-German Research Network at Humboldt-University of Berlin and the African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice at the University of the Western Cape are two separate networks and not linked to each other.