5 February 2004
Africa Ratifies Human Rights Court
3 February 2004
The fight against impunity in Africa took a significant step forward this week with the entry into force of a new human rights court in Africa, reports UN Wire.
The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights came into effect on 25 January 2004 after the nation of Comoros became the 15th African Union country to ratify the protocol governing its creation.
Using the 1982 African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights as its legal reference, the new court will hear cases on human rights violations brought forward by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. It will also hear cases submitted by individuals and non-governmental organisations if national courts are unable to resolve them and if the AU country in question approves them.
Several human rights groups have been appointed to a working group that will examine best practices in nominating judges and administering the court. They include the Open Society Institute's Justice Initiative, the National Human Rights Commission of Uganda, the Human Rights Institute of South Africa and the Federation Internationale des droits de l'homme (FIDH).
Visit these links for more information:
- Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights:
http://www.dfa.gov.za/for-relations/multilateral/treaties/court.htm
- A backgrounder on the African Court: http://www.diplomacy.edu/AfricanCharter/briefcase.asp
- Open Society Institute Justice Initiative: http://www.justiceinitiative.org/regions/africa/courts
- UN Wire: http://www.unwire.org/Channels/HRJD.asp
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