Justice Mathilda Twomey-Woods Publishes Landmark Report
Justice Mathilda Twomey-Woods — former Chief Justice of Seychelles and Academic Head of the Judicial Institute for Africa (JIFA) — has published the report of the Seychelles Commission of Inquiry, which she led as sole Commissioner.
Appointed in December 2025, Justice Twomey-Woods was tasked with investigating one of the most significant public controversies in the country’s recent history. The Commission examined the lease and proposed development of Assomption Island, an ecologically significant island situated adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra Atoll. The terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry extended across issues of constitutional governance, environmental protection, public procurement, financial probity, regulatory independence, transparency, executive accountability and the rule of law.
The achievement carries particular resonance for the DGRU. As Academic Head of JIFA, Justice Twomey-Woods leads JIFA’s work to strengthen judicial capacity, independence and integrity across the continent — and her role here, as a leading African jurist undertaking a complex, high-stakes inquiry single-handedly, exemplifies the very calibre of judicial leadership the Institute exists to cultivate.
“Justice Twomey-Woods’s report is a model of what rigorous, independent judicial inquiry can achieve,” said Vanja Karth, Director of DGRU and JIFA. “That JIFA’s Academic Head is delivering work of this significance speaks to the central role courageous, well-equipped judges play in upholding governance and the rule of law — work that sits at the heart of everything the Institute does across Africa.”
The report adds to a growing body of work in which African judges and judicial institutions are taking the lead in confronting questions of accountability and integrity, reinforcing the regional networks and capacity-building that JIFA and DGRU continue to advance from UCT.