Abstract
The Mauritian Bill of Rights, that has ensured that the country has good human rights records, celebrated its golden jubilee in March 2018. This milestone provided an opportunity for reflections on its contents. This chapter elaborates on some key provisions that have extensively ensured human rights protection of Mauritian citizens. It then critically assesses the contents of the Bill of Rights with the view of underlining the limitations of the document to ensure the maximum protection of the human rights of Mauritian citizens. It proposes reforms such as redefining some civil and political rights, the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights, the inclusion of actio popularis and a shift from dualist to monist state.
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Notes
- 1.
Mark Twain, Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World (Hartford, CT: The American Publishing Company, 1897), Chapter 62: “Mauritius Was Made First and Then Heaven; and Heaven Was Copied After Mauritius.”
- 2.
“National Day 2018,” Republic of Mauritius, accessed April 11, 2018, http://www.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx.
- 3.
“History,” Republic of Mauritius, accessed April 18, 2018, http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx.
- 4.
GN 54/1968, The Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius (1968).
- 5.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation, 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance: Index Report (2017), 58.
- 6.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Index Report, 9.
- 7.
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone (Ottawa, ON: Lowe-Martin Group, 2016), 271.
- 8.
Section 2 of the Constitution: “This Constitution is the Supreme Law of Mauritius…”.
- 9.
Stanley A de Smith, “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society,” The Modern Law Review 31, no. 6 (1968): 603–611.
- 10.
James Pope-Hennessy, Verandah: Some Episodes in the Crown Colonies (1867–1889) (London: Allen and Unwin, 1964), 231–302.
- 11.
De Smith, “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society,” 604.
- 12.
As above.
- 13.
De Smith, “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society,” 608.
- 14.
For more information about the best loser system in Mauritius, please see: Roopanand Mahadew, “The Best Loser System in Mauritius: An Essential Tool for Representing Political Minorities,” in Constitution-Building in Africa, ed. Jaap de Visser, Nico Steytler, Derek Powell, and Ebenezer Durojaye (Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2015).
- 15.
De Smith, “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society,” 610.
- 16.
De Smith, “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society,” 611.
- 17.
Sections 3–16 of the Constitution.
- 18.
Date of accession: 12 December 1973.
- 19.
Date of accession: 12 December 1973.
- 20.
Date of ratification: 19 June 2002.
- 21.
Date of ratification: July 2017 with reservations.
- 22.
Matadeen v Pointu Privy Council Appeal No. 14 of 1997, paragraph 24; Jordan v Jordan 2000 SCJ 226; Pulluck v Ramphul 2005 SCJ 196; and Ex Parte Hurnam Devendranath, a Barrister-at-Law 2007 SCJ 289.
- 23.
For instance Protection of Human Rights Act; Employment Rights Act; Employment Relations Act; Equal Opportunities Act; Protection from Domestic Violence Act.
- 24.
Section 8 of the Constitution.
- 25.
Section 11 of the Constitution.
- 26.
Section 13 of the Constitution.
- 27.
Section 15 of the Constitution.
- 28.
Section 10 of the Constitution.
- 29.
Section 16 of the Constitution.
- 30.
The Society United Docks and Others v Government of Mauritius 1985 UKPC 42 for compulsory acquisition of property; Darmalingum v The State 2000 MR 210 for fair trial within a reasonable time; Bhewa and Alladeen v Government of Mauritius & DPP 1990 MR 79 for freedom of conscience; The Union of Campement Sites Owners and Lessees v The Government of Mauritius 1984 MR 100 for the concept of equality of the law and non discrimination.
- 31.
1991 MR 90.
- 32.
Milan Meetarbhan, Constitutional Law of Mauritius: Constitution of Mauritius with Commentaries (2016), 23.
- 33.
Article 11 of the Mauritian Civil Code (authors’ translation): “One Cannot Renounce the Enjoyment of His Civil Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”
- 34.
1976 MR 96.
- 35.
1998 MR 172.
- 36.
Meetarbhan 31.
- 37.
2008 European Court of Human Rights 1581.
- 38.
2005, 41 European Human Rights Reports 8.
- 39.
2015 SCJ 177.
- 40.
1992 MR 284.
- 41.
1998 MR 112.
- 42.
Paragraph 6 of the Human Rights Committee’s Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Mauritius adopted on 11 December 2017 CCPR/C/MUS/CO/5: “The State party should give full effect to the Covenant in its domestic legal order and should also raise awareness of the rights in the Covenant among judges, lawyers and prosecutors so that its national laws are interpreted and applied in line with the Covenant.”
- 43.
2008 United Kingdom Privy Council 37.
- 44.
2007 SCJ 156.
- 45.
2013 SCJ 132.
- 46.
2005 United Kingdom Privy Council 49.
- 47.
1972 SCJ 169.
- 48.
2007 SCJ 274.
- 49.
2009 SCJ 102.
- 50.
See Meetarbhan 56–57.
- 51.
2016 SCJ 100.
- 52.
Section 4 of the Police Complaint Act 2012.
- 53.
Section 14 of the Police Complaint Act 2012.
- 54.
2009 SCJ 114.
- 55.
2012 SCJ 84.
- 56.
Article 17: (1) Freedom of the press, radio and television and of other forms of dissemination of features and information by means of public telecommunications is guaranteed. (2) Censorship is prohibited.
- 57.
Article 46: (1) The freedom of the press shall be guaranteed… (3) The freedom and the independence of the media in relation to the political and economic power and its non-subjection to censorship of any type shall be guaranteed. (4) The expression and confrontation of ideas of different currents of opinion in the media owned by the public sector shall be guaranteed.
- 58.
Section 2(b): Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: … freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.
- 59.
Darmalingum v The State 2000 United Kingdom Privy Council 30.
- 60.
Article 2.
- 61.
Article 6.
- 62.
Article 4.
- 63.
An unrevised version of this part on economic, social and cultural Rights has been published in Business Magazine for the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius.
- 64.
Law Reform Commission, Constitution Protection of Human Rights (Mauritius, October 2010), http://lrc.govmu.org/English/Documents/Reports%20and%20Papers/32%20humrightpro.pdf.
- 65.
Albie Sachs, The Strange Alchemy of Life and the Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 166.
- 66.
UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concluding Observation UN Doc. E/C.12/MUS/CO/4, 3–21 May 2010, para. 7.
- 67.
Adopted in 2000.
- 68.
1986 MR 220/SCJ 339.
- 69.
2002 MR 166/SCJ 48.
- 70.
Matthew Astley, “Attaining Locus standi as a Private Party in Judicial Review Proceedings in European Community Law: A Virtually Impossible Task?” Diffusion: The UCLan Journal of Undergraduate Research 2, no. 2 (2009): 1.
- 71.
Mahboob v The Government of Mauritius 1982 MR 135.
References
Books
Meetarbhan, Milan. Constitutional Law of Mauritius: Constitution of Mauritius with Commentaries. Mauritius: Milan JN Meetarbhan, 2016.
Pope-Hennessy, James. Verandah: Some Episodes in the Crown Colonies (1867–1889). London: Allen and Unwin, 1964.
Sachs, Albie. The Strange Alchemy of Life and the Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Twain, Mark. Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World. Hartford, CT: The American Publishing Company, 1897.
Chapters in Books
Budoo, Ashwanee, and Nora Ho Tu Nam. “The Republic of Mauritius.” In Oxford Constitutions of the World, edited by Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Mahadew, Roopanand. “The Best Loser System in Mauritius: An Essential Tool for Representing Political Minorities.” In Constitution-Building in Africa, edited by Jaap de Visser, Nico Steytler, Derek Powell, and Ebenezer Durojaye. Baden-Baden, Germany: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2015.
Journal articles
Astley, Matthew. “Attaining Locus standi as a Private Party in Judicial Review Proceedings in European Community Law: A Virtually Impossible Task?” Diffusion: The UCLan Journal of Undergraduate Research 2, no. 2 (2009): 1–20.
de Smith, Stanley A. “Mauritius: Constitutionalism in a Plural Society.” The Modern Law Review 31, no. 6 (1968): 601–622.
Reports
Law Reform Commission. Constitution Protection of Human Rights. Mauritius, October 2010.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation. 2017 Ibrahim Index of African Governance: Index Report. 2017.
United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone. Ottawa, ON: Lowe-Martin Group, 2016.
Cases
European Court of Human Rights
S and Marper v the United Kingdom 2008 European Court of Human Rights 1581
Sahin v Turkey 2005 41 European Human Rights Reports 8
Privy Council
Matadeen v Pointu Privy Council Appeal No 14 of 1997
The Society United Docks and Others v Government of Mauritius 1985 UKPC 42
Darmalingum v The State 2000 United Kingdom Privy Council 30
Roger F.P. de Boucherville v the State of Mauritius 2008 United Kingdom Privy Council 37
Hurnam v The State 2005 United Kingdom Privy Council 49
Mauritius
Bhewa and Alladeen v Government of Mauritius & DPP 1990 MR 79
Bhinkah v The State 2009 SCJ 102
Bunwaree V K v La Sentinelle
Dahoo v State of Mauritius 2007 SCJ 156
DPP v Boodhoo 1992 MR 284
DPP v Jagdawoo 2016 SCJ 100
Ex Parte Hurnam Devendranath, a Barrister-at-Law 2007 SCJ 289
Jaulim v DPP 1976 MR 96
Jordan v Jordan 2000 SCJ 226
Jugnauth P K v The Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service Affairs &Ors 2013 SCJ 132
Madhewoo v The State 2015 SCJ 177
Mahboob v The Government of Mauritius 1982 MR 135
Matadeen v Pointu 1998 MR 172
Noordally v The Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions 1986 MR 220/SCJ 339
Ohsan-Bellepeau v La Sentinelle 2009 SCJ 114
Peerbocus v R 1991 MR 90
Philibert v The State 2007 SCJ 274
Pulluck v Ramphul 2005 SCJ 196
Tengur v Minister of Education and Scientific Research and Another 2002 MR 166/SCJ 48
The Union of Campement Sites Owners and Lessees v The Government of Mauritius 1984 MR 100
Virahsawmy and Anor v The Commissioner of Police 1972 SCJ 169
Concluding Observations
Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations on the Fifth Periodic Report of Mauritius Adopted on 11 December 2017 CCPR/C/MUS/CO/5.
UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concluding Observation UN Doc. E/C.12/MUS/CO/4, 3–21 May 2010.
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Budoo, A., Mahadew, R.A. (2020). The Golden Jubilee of the Mauritian Bill of Rights: A Milestone to Celebrate or Time for Reflections?. In: Addaney, M., Nyarko, M.G., Boshoff, E. (eds) Governance, Human Rights, and Political Transformation in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27049-0_5
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