Dr. O’Brien Kaaba

Photo of Dr. O’Brien Kaaba
Dr. O’Brien Kaaba
Assistant Dean Research
Public Law
Phone

Biography

Academic Qualifications:

  • LLD (University of South Africa)
  • LLM (University of Zambia),
  • LLB Hons (University of London)

Dr. O’Brien Kaaba, is a lecturer in law at the University of Zambia and a senior research fellow at the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR). O’Brien also holds a diploma in philosophy from St. Augustine’s Catholic Philosophical College. He is an associate editor of the SAIPAR Case Review Journal, the only case commentary journal in the country focusing on reviewing decisions of superior courts in Zambia and in the African region.

Prior to joining the academia, O’Brien worked in development cooperation. He has formerly served as a Child Protection Coordinator for Plan International (Plan), Elections Manager for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) in Zambia, Political Specialist for the US Department of State at the American Embassy in Lusaka (Zambia) and as Human Rights and Rule of Law Advisor for the Germany Development Cooperation (GIZ).

His teaching subjects currently are Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, International Humanitarian Law, and Legal Process.

Publications

  • O’Brien Kaaba (with Greenwell Matchaya and Charles Nhemachena), “Judiciability of the Right to Water in the SADC Region: A Critical Appraisal” (2018) 7 Laws Review
  • O’Brien Kaaba, “Raila Omolo Odinga and Another v Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and Others” in SAIPAR Case Review Volume 1 Issue 2 2017
  • O’Brien Kaaba, “Milford Maambo and Others v The People” in SAIPAR Case Review Volume 1 Issue 2 2017
  • O’Brien Kaaba, “Constitutionality of Criminal Procedure and Prison Laws in Africa: Zambia” CSPRI (Dullar Omar Institute, 2016)
  • O’Brien Kaaba (with Gwenaelle Dereymaeker, Winluck Wahiu, Tina Lorizzo, and Guy-Fleury Ntwari), “Constitutionality of Criminal Procedure and Prison Laws in Africa: A Comparative Study of Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia” CSPRI (Dullar Omar Institute, 2016)
  • O’Brien Kaaba, “The Challenges of Adjudicating Presidential Election Disputes in Domestic Courts in Africa” (2015) 15 African Human Rights Law Journal 329-354
  • O’Brien Kaaba, “The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance: An Elections Checklist on Zambia,” Zambia Social Science Journal, (2015) Volume 3, Number 2

Research Interests

  • Comparative constitutional law,
  • African electoral laws and systems,
  • LGBT,
  • The African human rights system,
  • International humanitarian law (with special interest in the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence),
  • African integration law, jurisprudence and legal theory,
  • Gender violence.