Economic and social rights, corruption and Covid-19: the Indian and South African experiences

Pillay, Anashri

Abstract

India and South Africa have been at the forefront of debates about economic and social rights for many decades. Whilst the apex courts in these states have led the way in interpreting and handing down remedies stemming from these rights, vast social and economic inequalities persist. This article uses the responses to Covid-19 as a basis from which to consider how corruption has affected the realisation of economic and social rights in each of these countries. The article goes on to address broader arguments about the value of international human rights in tackling corruption. A human rights perspective is a relatively recent addition to anti-corruption discourse. Human rights approaches face the criticism of being, at best, vague and, at worst, counterproductive. Whilst acknowledging the salience of these critiques and noting that a more refined understanding of the nexus between corruption and rights is needed, the article argues that human rights discourse has a valuable role to play in corruption reform measures.

Citation

Pillay, A. (in press). Economic and social rights, corruption and Covid-19: the Indian and South African experiences. National Law School of India Review,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 30, 2024
• Journal: National Law School of India Review
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2186618
• Publisher URL: https://www.nlsir.com/