About the IGL
Why we exist
South Africa has no shortage of organisations committed to realising the promises of the Constitution. But very few are focused on enforcing what has already been settled — on holding power to account for failing to uphold rights and duties that are not in dispute.
The Institute for Governance and Law was founded to fill that gap.
Our founding purpose is to enable the lawful and effective functioning of the institutions of public life — and to hold public and private bearers of power responsible when they fail to respect, protect, promote, or fulfil their constitutional obligations.
"Absent lawful, effective, and responsible State institutions — and without the defence and implementation of the Rule of Law — constitutional content cannot be made real." - IGL founding statement
What we believe
The rule of law is not an abstract ideal. It is a set of specific, enforceable obligations — and someone has to enforce them.
01 — Rights without enforcement are just words South Africa's Constitution enshrines the dream of a sovereign, democratic state founded on dignity, equality, and human rights. But without lawful, functioning institutions to give it effect, that dream remains out of reach for most ordinary South Africans.
02 — Power must answer to the law Office bearers in the Executive, the Legislature, the Courts, and state-owned enterprises have a particular duty to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land — and should face legal consequences when they do not.
03 — The Constitution must evolve justly Constitutions grow through precedent, interpretation, and legislation. The IGL works to ensure that, in South Africa, that evolution is just, equitable, and rational.
04 — We support the rule of law — not "law and order" We recognise that law enforcement can be brutal, corrupt, and selective — and that parliament can pass legislation that is unconstitutional or discriminatory. Our commitment is to lawful, fair governance — not the uncritical defence of authority.
Governance fails when the law is undermined. We exist to change that.
Enhancing governance through the application of the rule of law.
