Diplomatic immunity allows nations to engage in good faith, Michael Masutha says
The justice minister says if one has to arrest or prosecute a sitting head of state, it will impede a country’s ‘ability to pursue ideals of peace and stability’
Diplomatic immunity is a "necessary evil" that is essential to SA’s peacekeeping efforts in Africa‚ Justice Minister Michael Masutha said on Monday. He was explaining the government’s decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)‚ which emerged on Friday and which has been criticised by governments and rights groups around the world. Masutha told Radio 702 that if SA "had to arrest‚ prosecute or otherwise refer sitting heads of state and other political leaders … despite the possibility of them enjoying diplomatic immunity", it would impede its "ability to pursue ideals of peace and stability". He said that diplomatic immunity "immunes [sic] you from criminal or civil liability when you arrive at a foreign country because it is a necessary evil … to ensure that countries are able to engage each other in good faith…". Masutha said the ICC‚ like other international forums‚ was "flawed"‚ and under the Rome Statute, "our international diplomatic sy...
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