As the first African to lead prosecutions at The Hague, Fatou Bensouda faced much praise and criticism. The outgoing prosecutor’s tenure ended earlier this year, and she used her address as the keynote speaker of the Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture to address this critique.
For the second time, the lecture was a virtual affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bensouda spoke virtually from The Hague.
Owing to a legal career that spans more than three decades, Bensouda’s centred her lecture on the rule of law. As prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) between June 2012 and June 2021, Bensouda became the voice for thousands of victims denied justice in their own countries.
