I t has certainly been an eventful year for Swaziland with the most talked event being the release of The Nation editor, Bheki Makhubu, and columnist, Thulani Maseko after spending 15 months in prison. The two were released on 30 June, 2015 following an appeal hearing before the Supreme Court. The Crown Prosecutor conceded that the state had no case against them. The two were arrested after publishing articles in The Nation magazine, questioning judicial independence and political accountability in Swaziland. The fine imposed on the magazine was also overturned. Following close on the heels of this incident which was celebrated by media practitioners, human rights lawyers and activists in Swaziland and on the continent was the judicial crisis which saw the arrest on corruption charges and defeating the ends of justice were issued of the then Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Chief Justice, two judges and the High Court Registrar. For detailed information about the judicial crisis, readers can access the report compiled by members of an international fact-finding mission to Swaziland, convened by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), in collaboration with the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF), Judges for Judges Netherlands (J4J) and the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA). http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/swaziland/documents/news/2016/swaziland-justice-locked-out-rol-crisis-publications-mission-report-2016_en.pdf 68 So This is Democracy? 2015 Justice Locked Out: Swaziland’s Rule of Law Crisis provides detailed information on the impeachment of former Chief Justice Ramodibedi, the arrest of the Minister of Justice, two High Court judges and a High Court Registrar. It also analyses the worrying trend of repeated interference by the Executive, and of the Judiciary’s inability to defend its independence, exacerbated by apparent strife within the ruling authorities of Swaziland. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Makhubu and Maseko released On 30 June, 2015, the Swaziland Supreme Court released Bheki Makhubu and human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko from prison after the Crown Prosecution chose not to appeal aganst their conviction. The two met were reunited with their families, 15 months after their rearrest. The case goes back to 2014, when journalist and editor of monthly news magazine The Nation Bheki Makhubu and human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko, wrote articles criticizing the judiciary system of Swaziland for its lack of impartiality and lack of independence. In the articles, the actions of the Chief Justice of the High Court, Michael Ramodibedi, for ordering the arrest of a government vehicle inspector were critcised and condemned. Makhubu and Maseko were subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of contempt of court. Lawyers argued that the arrest warrant was unconstitutional, unlawful, and irregular since only a magistrate was authorized to issue an arrest warrant and not Justice Ramodibedi, since he was a justice of the High Court. Justice Dlamini of the High Court dismissed the arrest war-