What are South Africa’s experiences in the domestic application of international criminal law?
Recently, Wayamo had the privilege of sitting down with Judge Dario Dosio of the South African High Court, who spoke about the COSAS 4 trial, an important case on crimes against humanity currently being heard in the courts, which arose from events in 1982 while South Africa was still under Apartheid.
He also shared his thoughts about South Africa’s biggest hurdles to pursuing accountability following its Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and its experiences with international criminal law, which include important rulings on universal jurisdiction and South Africa’s cooperation obligations with the ICC.
Finally, he talked about South Africa’s legacy and potential as a leading state, the practical challenges of adjudicating cases touching on international law domestically, and the challenges of using digital evidence in the courtroom.
The interview took place on the sidelines of a September 2025 Symposium on Appraising International Criminal Justice in Africa bringing together civil society actors, academics, prosecutors, investigators and judges for discussions on the domestic application of international criminal law.
