Redefining apartheid
Abstract
This lecture discusses emerging proposals to redefine apartheid under international law in a more expansive and inclusive manner, extending beyond its historical association with racial segregation in Southern Africa to address contemporary forms of institutionalised oppression, including those structured along gendered lines.
Situating these developments within a broader critical intervention on the politics of juridification - the increasing tendency to frame justice through legal categories - the lecture explores how struggles for legal recognition come to shape, delimit, and at times narrow our imaginaries of justice and emancipatory possibility. It considers how law influences not only what forms of harm become visible, but also which political projects are rendered thinkable.
By reflecting on the promises and constraints of legal recognition through the example of apartheid, the lecture ultimately asks whether expanding juridical definitions can meaningfully advance struggles for justice, and considers how tactical engagements with law might be undertaken in ways that serve broader liberatory goals.
About Dr Nora Jaber
Dr Nora Jaber is Lecturer in Law in the Globalised Muslim World. Her research lies at the intersection of international law, human rights, and feminist theory, with a particular focus on gender justice in the Arab and Islamic world.
About the colloquium
This one-day event brings together postgraduate research students to discuss and reflect on the theme of "Researching in Times of Precarity, Crisis, and Transformation". The day will feature four panels, along with the keynote and a workshop on thesis writing led by Professor Gina Heathcote.
All postgraduate students are welcome.
