About us

SECTION27 was established in May 2010. It incorporates the AIDS Law Project, one of South Africa’s most successful post-apartheid human rights organisations. SECTION27 is a public interest law centre that seeks to influence, develop and use the law to protect, promote and advance human rights.

Our activities include research, advocacy and legal action to change the socio-economic conditions that undermine human dignity and development, prevent poor people from reaching their full potential and lead to the spread of diseases that have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable and marginalised people.

SECTION27 is named after section 27 of the South African Constitution, which lies at the heart of our supreme law’s commitment to socio-economic rights. This section, which locates the right to health within a context of mutually supporting and intersecting rights, provides that:

1. Everyone has the right to have access to –
   a. health care services, including reproductive health care;
   b. sufficient food and water; and
   c. social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, appropriate social assistance.
2. The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights.
3. No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.

With the increase in the breadth of the work of the ALP, it made sense to form a new organisation to succeed the ALP that was structured for our new focus. SECTION27 seeks to contribute towards the progressive realisation of socio-economic rights, with a particular focus on the right of access to health-care services, the positive and negative obligations the Constitution places on public and private bodies, and the legal and political conditions necessary for sustaining rights under the rule of law. In our view, HIV/AIDS will remain the litmus test for the delivery of health services over the coming years: for example, the epidemic poses major issues in respect of appropriate budgeting and expenditure. It therefore offers an entry point for tackling the systemic problems that confront the health system.

Consequently SECTION27, with our partners, will continue with activities that aim to promote the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan, strengthen the South African National AIDS Council and defend and realise existing policy and established rights. Unlike the ALP, however, SECTION27 will not require that there always be a direct link to HIV/AIDS in the issues we address.

Put simply, SECTION27 has a broader focus on socio-economic rights. In addition, the pursuit of rights to health, food and education means that we also be prepared to address foundational rule-of-law questions such as openness, accountability and the regulation of both public and private power.

Download the full SECTION27 prospectus (updated in June 2011).