Quick Facts

Name: African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Established: 2006
Seat: Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania
President: Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo (Ghana)
Vice/President: Justice Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria)
Registrar: Dr Robert Eno (Cameroon)

Mandate: Judicial Protection of Human Rights in Africa

Working Languages: Arabic, English, French and Portuguese. However, the Court will receive an application written in any African language.

Jurisdiction: All cases and disputes submitted to it concerning the interpretation and application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Protocol and any other relevant human rights instrument ratified by the States concerned.

KEY DATES:

1981 (June): Adoption by the Assembly of African Heads of State and Government of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights which creates a framework within which an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights could be created (Article 66).

1998 (June): The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights was adopted by Member States of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

2004 (25 January): The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights came into force.

2006 (January): Election of the first Judges of the Court by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Khartoum, Sudan.

2006 (2 July): The first Judges of the Court were sworn in before the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Banjul, the Gambia.

2006 (November): The Court officially started its operations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

2007 (August): The African Court moved to its seat in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania.

2008 (June): The African Court adopted its Interim Rules of the Court pending consultation with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights for harmonization.

2008 (11 August): The African court received its first application made by Mr Michelot Yogogombaye against the Republic of Senegal.

2009: The Court delivered its first judgment on the Yogogombaye application.

2010 (April): The harmonization process of the Rules of Court and the Rules of Procedure of the Commission was completed.

2010 (June): The Court adopted its final Rules of Court.

2011 (December): First session outside Tanzania
2012 (March): First public hearing

STATUS OF CASES:

Received Cases: 20 Applications in total

                               3 Requests for Advisory opinion

Finalized Cases: 10

Pending Cases: 9

Joinder: 1

Struck out: 1 Request for advisory opinion

Withdrawn: 1 Request for advisory opinion

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