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On September 23, 2025, Professor John-Mark Iyi will deliver a landmark inaugural lecture at the University of the Western Cape titled Beyond Crisis and Credibility in International Legal Reform: Africa at a Critical Juncture. His message is bold and timely: the current global legal system is outdated, and Africa must play a central role in reshaping it.
Professor Iyi argues that international law, as it stands, was designed during colonial expansion and global conflict—not to deliver justice, but to entrench power. He calls for a radical rethinking of legal norms, proposing three foundational pillars for reform: assertive continental sovereignty, extra-legal norm entrepreneurship, and a fully decolonised legal policy.
His perspective is shaped by personal experience. As a student activist in Nigeria during the military rule of General Sani Abacha, Iyi was wounded by police during a protest. That moment, and a nurse’s plea to “have compassion on your parents,” redirected his life toward academia and legal scholarship. Today, he leads the African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice and is one of the continent’s most respected legal minds.
Iyi’s lecture draws parallels to the post-colonial Bandung Moment, when newly independent nations sought to redefine global governance. He believes Africa now stands at a similar crossroads, with the opportunity to lead a new era of legal reform that prioritizes justice, equity, and regional responsibility.
His critique is not just academic—it’s a call to action. He challenges African governments, scholars, and civil society to reject outdated legal frameworks and build new ones that reflect the continent’s values, history, and aspirations.
This lecture is expected to spark wide debate across legal, political, and academic circles, potentially influencing future treaties, regional courts, and international negotiations.