Court to rule on ICC withdrawal
Judgment on government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to be handed down in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this morning.
South Africa began the process of withdrawing from the ICC last year, following the furore over Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
The ICC hit out at the South African government for failing to arrest Al-Bashir during the African Union summit in 2015, despite the arrest warrant issued for his arrest by the ICC for crime against humanity.
The DA objected to the withdrawal of the ICC and took the matter to court, arguing the decision was unconstitutional, irrational and procedurally flawed.
The DA also argued that Justice Minister Michael Masutha unlawfully bypassed Parliament when he withdrew South Africa from the ICC and therefore did not act in line with the Constitution.
South Africa has joined several other African countries planning to withdraw from the ICC, because they believe the court is biased against the continent.