{
  "id": 16175197,
  "title": "CONSTITUTION @ 30: Art, justice and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Celebrating 30 years of the Constitutional Court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/constitution-30-art-justice-and-ruth-bader-ginsburg-celebrating-30",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T10:57:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-23-art-justice-and-ruth-bader-ginsburg-celebrating-30-years-of-the-constitutional-court/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa's Constitutional Court, established 30 years ago, has left an indelible mark on the nation's jurisprudence through its landmark judgments, particularly in expanding free speech protections and securing the right to shelter. The court's establishment coincided with the adoption of a non-racial Constitution, marking a turning point in the country's history.\n\nWhile bilateral relations between the United States and South Africa have generally been cordial, challenges arose during the court's formative years. The South African government's support for Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe and disagreements over the HIV/AIDS epidemic strained the relationship. However, the US embassy in South Africa remained engaged with the Constitutional Court, seeking ways to support its mandate.\n\nDuring my tenure at the American Embassy, we recognized a practical challenge faced by the court: researching international law was time-consuming and often incomplete. To address this, we collaborated with Thomson Reuters, the parent company of Westlaw, an electronic database containing US court decisions and legal material from across the United States. We secured multi-year, free access to Westlaw for the court, providing it with a valuable resource to aid its decision-making process.\n\nIn addition to its legal work, the Constitutional Court embarked on an initiative to create an art collection for its permanent home. Under the leadership of Justices Albie Sachs and Yvonne Mokgoro, the court assembled a diverse collection of artworks and sculptures, each with a meaningful story behind it. Among the notable pieces is Judith Mason's The Blue Dress, which honors a woman who defied the apartheid regime by crafting a dress from discarded blue plastic bags to preserve her dignity during her imprisonment.\n\nThe court's art collection includes Andrew Verster's massive bronze doors, carved by hand to depict the 27 fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution's Bill of Rights. These doors, installed as construction neared completion, feature South Africa's 11 official languages and Braille on the bronze door handle, commemorating the court's opening in 2004. The court's sculpture, History by Dumile Feni, stands outside the building, paying tribute to those who tirelessly care for others.",
  "summary": "The 30th anniversary of South Africa’s democratic Constitution and the establishment of the country’s Constitutional Court gives us the opportunity to recall the creation of the court’s art collection, a speech at the court by US Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a strategic engagement with the court by the US embassy.",
  "key_points": [
    "South Africa's Constitutional Court established 30 years ago",
    "Court expanded free speech protections, secured right to shelter",
    "US embassy provided free Westlaw access for international law research"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The court’s integration of international legal resources and symbolic art transforms the institution from a mere judicial body into a multifaceted guardian of South Africa's non-racial constitutional identity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}