Lord Abernethy (Justice Alastar Cameron)

Lord Abernethy was called to the Bar at Inner Temple, London, in 1963 and admitted as a member of the Faculty of Advocates (Scottish Bar) in 1966. He was made Queen’s Counsel (Scotland) in 1979 and was elevated to Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland (Judge of the Supreme Court) in 1992, where he served until 2007. He has held many senior positions in national and international organisations (including the International Bar Association) and serves as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Botswana.

Keith Baker

Keith Baker is a London Solicitor and an individual member of the International Bar Association for some 25 years, specialising in cross-border private client work. He is a past Chair of the Individual Tax and Private Client Committee and past Treasurer of the former Section on General Practice.  He is an Honorary Life Member of the International Bar Association.

Zohra Dawood

Zohra Dawood has degrees in law and a Master’s Degree in Economic History.  She worked for a decade as a chief researcher for a land rights organisation. After 1994, she worked with the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture where she was involved in policy formulation and implementation, including negotiations and settlement of land claims. She has been advisor to Cabinet Members and the Presidency of Nelson Mandela. She has also worked for the Department of Defence in drafting their legislation and policies on Land and Environment. In mid-1999 she joined the Open Society Institute as the Deputy Executive Director of the Open Society Foundation for South Africa and from June 2001 has held the position of Executive Director. Ms Dawood is actively engaged internationally in key issues related to human rights and international justice, social, economic and legal reform and the promotion of independent media. 

In addition to her responsibilities for South Africa and African programmes for the Open Society Institute, she has, since December 2006, been appointed to head up OSI-NY’s efforts in Indonesia as country director, where she heads up an OSI entity that seeks to institutionalize democracy and an open society in the largest Muslim country in the world.

Sisonke Msimang

Sisonke Msimang was appointed as Executive Director of OSISA in September 2008.  Sisonke has extensive experience working on issues of human rights and democracy in Southern Africa.  For over fifteen years she has been actively engaged in issues of HIV and AIDS and human rights.  She has worked for a range of bilateral and multilateral agencies including the Australian Agency for International Development and various United Nations agencies.  In addition, she has worked in the academic arena, having done a stint at the African Gender Institute (AGI), based at the University of Cape Town.

Beatrice Mtetwa

A prominent media lawyer, she has defended many journalists in Zimbabwe who have been detained and harassed.  In a country where the law is used as a weapon against independent journalists, Mtetwa has defended journalists and argued for press freedom, all at great personal risk.

Tawanda Mutasah

Tawanda Mutasah is Director of Programs at the Open Society Institute, overseeing the work of Network Programs across the Soros Foundations Network. He previously served as chair of OSI’s Africa Advisory Board. He also formerly directed the OSISA from 2003-08. He was admitted to the Bar in Zimbabwe in 1995. An International Human Rights award winner, Mutasah has previously worked on the international advocacy staff of Oxfam Great Britain, among other roles.

Louise Oliver

Louise Olivier is the Law Programme Manager responsible for rule of law and access to justice programmes in the region.  Prior to joining OSISA, Louise worked as a consultant who travelled extensively across Africa for various non-governmental organisations, including the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa.  Before that Louise worked for the Independent Electoral Commission of Southern Africa where she observed the 2004 South African elections as well as the 2006 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Dr. Phillip Tahmindjis

Phillip Tahmindjis was a Professor of Law teaching human rights in Australia, North America and Hong Kong, as well as a consultant to government and private industry on human rights and discrimination issues. He was a member of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal and has published four books and numerous articles in this field. He is currently Deputy Director of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute.