Abstract

This article examines the potential of the socio-economic rights doctrine of non-retrogression to hold the state accountable for policies of fiscal consolidation (‘austerity measures’) in South Africa. These policies threaten to erode many programmes and institutions critical to the delivery of the socio-economic rights recognised in the Constitution. The article provides a contextual analysis of fiscal consolidation policies in South Africa both in the lead up to and during the Covid-19 pandemic. It examines the nature of the doctrine of non-retrogression in international human rights law, and considers how the doctrine could be translated into South Africa’s existing jurisprudential framework on socio-economic rights. It concludes by considering how the procedural and participatory dimensions of the non-retrogression doctrine can play an important role in alleviating the institutional tensions involved in the judicial review of retrogressive measures. Ultimately, the article seeks to demonstrate that the doctrine of non-retrogression provides a framework and set of principles that can advance greater accountability for rights-eroding budgetary decisions.

摘要

本文探讨了不倒退的社会经济权利学说在使国家对南非的财政整顿政策（“紧缩措施”）负责的潜力。这些政策有可能侵蚀许多对实现《宪法》承认的社会经济权利至关重要的计划和机构。本文对南非在 Covid-19 大流行之前和期间的财政整顿政策进行了背景分析。它审查了国际人权法中不倒退原则的性质，并考虑了如何将该原则转化为南非现有的社会经济权利法理学框架。最后，它考虑了不倒退原则的程序性和参与性维度如何在缓解倒退措施司法审查所涉及的制度紧张方面发挥重要作用。最后，本文试图证明，不倒退原则提供了一个框架和一套原则，可以促进对侵蚀权利的预算决定承担更大的责任。