Lesotho

Lesotho

Right	Section	Contents
Freedom of Association	History	The first Constitution of Lesotho, ratified in 1966, conditionally protects freedom of association in Chapter II Article 15.1-2c: “(1) Every person shall be entitled to, and (except with his own assembly and consent) shall not be hindered in his enjoyment of freedom of association that is to say, freedom to assemble and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to trade unions and other associations for the protection of his interests. (2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision— (a) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons; or (c) for the purpose of imposing restrictions upon public officers” (World Constitutions Illustrated). This Constitution was suspended in 1970, but it is today protected under Article 13 of the 1993 constitution (constituteproject.org). References: “Lesotho - Africa.” Constitute. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.constituteproject.org/countries/Africa/Lesotho. “Lesotho Independence Order, 1966.” HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://heinonline-org.uc.idm.oclc.org/HOL/COWShow?collection=cow&cow_id=234.
Freedom of Expression	History	Freedom of expression was asserted in the 1966 Lesotho Constitution, as well as in the 2010 Lesotho Constitution. References: 1966 Lesotho Constitution: O’LEARY, B. L. “THE CONSTITUTION OF LESOTHO: AN OUTLINE.” The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 1, no. 2 (1968): 266–70. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23240737. 1993 Lesotho Constitution:https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Lesotho_2018.
Freedom of Religion	History	Freedom of conscience was guaranteed in the 1966 Lesotho Constitution. The right to religious freedom in Lesotho can be found in the 1993 Constitution, ratified on April 2nd. Articles 4.1, 13, 16.1, 18.3, 18.5, and 26.1 grant religious freedom, equality, and prohibit religious discrimination. (“Lesotho 1993 Constitution”, 1993). References: 1966 Lesotho Constitution: O’LEARY, B. L. “THE CONSTITUTION OF LESOTHO: AN OUTLINE.” The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 1, no. 2 (1968): 266–70. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23240737. “Lesotho 1993 Constitution.” 1993. Constitute Project. April 2. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Lesotho_2018.
Freedom of the Press	History	The 1966 Constitution of Lesotho offers a general freedom of expression. Article 14 of Lesotho’s 1993 Constitution states: “Every person shall be entitled to, and (except with his own consent) shall not be hindered in his enjoyment of, freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference (whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons) and freedom from interference with his correspondence." (Constitute Project, “Lesotho’ Constitution of 1993 with Amendments through 2018” ). References: 1966 Lesotho Constitution: O’LEARY, B. L. “THE CONSTITUTION OF LESOTHO: AN OUTLINE.” The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 1, no. 2 (1968): 266–70. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23240737. 1993 Lesotho Constitution:https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Lesotho_2018.
Privacy Rights	History	The 1993 constitution of Lesotho sets forth fundamental rights which are granted to each person in Lesotho in Article 4. In Section 1(g) of Article 4, the right to respect for family and private life is protected. In Article 11, this right is expanded upon and clarified: "Every person shall be entitled to respect for his private an family life and his home." Article 14 guaranteed freedom of interference with correspondence. (Constitute Project, “Lesotho 1993 rev. 2018” ). References: https://constituteproject.org/constitution/Lesotho_ 2018? lang=en
Voting Rights and Suffrage	History	Chapter VI of the 1966 Lesotho Constitution refers to the qualifications to vote. Under Article 57 of the 1993 Constitution, Citizens of Lesotho who are 18 years of age or older and reside in Lesotho may vote in elections to The National Assembly, which is the first chamber of the Lesotho government. (Constitute Project, “Lesotho’ Constitution of 1993 with Amendments through 2018” ). References: 1966 Lesotho Constitution: O’LEARY, B. L. “THE CONSTITUTION OF LESOTHO: AN OUTLINE.” The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 1, no. 2 (1968): 266–70. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23240737. 1993 Lesotho Constitution:https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Lesotho_2018.