African Court on Human and Peoples Rights

476 judgments
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Results. 476 judgments found.

476 judgments
December 2019
Court ordered joinder of two applications alleging similar fair‑trial violations against the same State under Rule 54.
  • Human rights — Procedure — Joinder of interrelated cases — Whether Court may consolidate applications under Rule 54 of the Rules of Court where facts, alleged violations and Respondent are the same
2 December 2019
Court ordered joinder and consolidation of three similar fair‑trial applications arising from the same criminal trial.
  • Human rights — Court procedure — Joinder and consolidation of interrelated applications — Application of Rule 54 of the Rules of Court
  • Criminal procedure / Human rights — Fair trial rights — Multiple applicants from same trial alleging similar violations — Appropriateness of consolidation for administration of justice
2 December 2019
Court granted an interim stay preventing cancellation of the applicant's passport, dismissing other provisional relief as moot or premature.
  • Human rights
    • — Provisional measures — Urgency and irreparable harm — Stay of procedure cancelling passport
    • — Jurisdiction — Prima facie competence to indicate provisional measures under Protocol Article 27 and Rule 51
  • International cooperation — Extradition — Mootness of provisional relief following foreign court refusal of extradition
2 December 2019
Court ordered joinder of multiple interrelated applications against the same State under Rule 54 for proper administration of justice.
  • Procedure — Joinder of cases — Consolidation of interrelated applications under Rule 54 of the Rules of Court
  • Judicial composition — Recusal/exclusion of judge due to nationality — Article 22 of the Protocol and Rule 8(2) of the Rules of Court
2 December 2019
Court ordered joinder of three like-minded fair‑trial applications against the State under Rule 54 for efficient administration of justice.
  • Procedural law — Joinder of cases — Rule 54 of the Rules of Court — Power to join interrelated cases for proper administration of justice
  • Human rights — Fair trial — Allegations of violation of Article 7(1)(a)(b) and 7(2) of the African Charter and Article 10 UDHR — Similarity of claims and reliefs
  • Judicial composition — Recusal/non‑participation — Application of Article 22 of the Protocol and Rule 8(2) of the Rules
2 December 2019
Applicant failed to show extreme gravity, urgency or irreparable harm; provisional measures to stay execution were dismissed.
  • Human rights
    • — Provisional measures — Extreme gravity, urgency and risk of irreparable harm
    • — Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction to entertain individual applications under Article 34(6) of the Protocol
  • Criminal procedure — Effect of appeal — Domestic stay of execution relevant to provisional measures
2 December 2019
A request for provisional measures was dismissed where the applicant failed to show personal urgency or irreparable harm.
  • Provisional measures — requirements of extreme gravity, urgency, and irreparable harm — applicant must demonstrate personal risk — measures cannot be granted for non-parties — African Charter and Protocol jurisdiction.
2 December 2019
Applicant failed to prove extreme gravity, urgency or irreparable harm; provisional suspension of electoral body denied.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — Criteria of extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm
  • Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction for provisional measures — Article 34(6) declaration and Article 5(3) of the Protocol
  • Electoral law — Independence and neutrality of electoral bodies — Allegations without evidence insufficient to justify suspension of electoral processes
2 December 2019
Applicant failed to show extreme gravity, urgency or irreparable harm; provisional measures dismissed.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — Conditions: extreme gravity, urgency and irreparable harm
  • Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction — Article 34(6) declaration and admissibility of individual applications
  • Criminal procedure — Effect of appeal — Suspension of execution pending appeal
2 December 2019
Provisional measures dismissed for failure to show extreme gravity, urgency or irreparable harm and for seeking relief for non‑parties.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — Conditions: extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm
  • Procedure — Locus standi — Applicant seeking provisional measures for non‑parties must demonstrate urgency and irreparable harm
2 December 2019
November 2019
Individuals cannot intervene in ongoing African Court proceedings; application for intervention dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
  • Human rights — Procedure — Intervention — Whether individuals may intervene under Article 5(2) of the Protocol and Rule 53 of the Rules
  • Jurisdiction — Personal jurisdiction — Applicability of Articles 5(1)(a), 5(3) and 34(6) of the Protocol to intervention applications
  • Civil procedure — Costs — Rule 30 — Each party to bear own costs where intervention application dismissed
28 November 2019
Applicant awarded pecuniary and non‑pecuniary reparations; Benin ordered to lift seizures, reopen media and amend CRIET law.
  • Human rights
    • — Reparation — State obligation to make full reparation for violations — Compensation, restitution and non‑repetition — Article 27 Protocol
    • — Fair trial — Violations of presumption of innocence, right to defence, non bis in idem and two‑tier jurisdiction — Remedies and causation
  • Remedies — Property and economic measures — Lifting seizures and bans; reopening media; amendment of domestic law to secure non‑repetition
28 November 2019
Failure to inform indigent accused of right to counsel and to provide legal aid violated fair trial rights; sentence lawful.
  • Human rights — Fair trial — Right to defence and legal assistance — State duty to inform accused and provide free counsel where interests of justice require — Article 7(1)(c) African Charter — Article 14(3)(d) ICCPR
  • Criminal law — Sentencing — Principle of legality — Application of Minimum Sentences Act and law in force at time of offence — Article 7(2) African Charter
  • Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies and reasonable time to file — Requirement met where ordinary remedies and review were pursued by incarcerated, unrepresented applicants
28 November 2019
Court found no violation of fair trial, equality or non‑discrimination and dismissed the applicant's claims.
  • Human rights — Fair trial — Evaluation of domestic courts' evidentiary findings and limits of the Court's appellate role
  • Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies and reasonable time — Ordinary remedies rule; detained applicant's constraints and pending review application
  • Equality and non‑discrimination — Article 3 and Article 2 — Requirement to substantiate claims of differential treatment
28 November 2019
Court refused provisional suspension of reconstituted electoral commission absent extreme gravity, urgency and irreparable harm.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — Extreme gravity, urgency and irreparable harm — Protocol art 27(2)
  • Electoral law — Independent Electoral Commission — Request to suspend implementation and appointments pending merits
28 November 2019
Arbitrary invalidation of passports violated the Applicants' rights to freedom of movement and political participation.
  • Human rights — Citizenship/passports — Arbitrary revocation of passports — Freedom of movement and political participation — African Charter Arts.12(2),13(1)
  • Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies — Constructive non‑exhaustion where applicants abroad and fear for their security
  • Reparations — Moral damages and restitution — Compensation and passport reinstatement ordered
28 November 2019
Application declared inadmissible for being filed outside a reasonable time after exhaustion of domestic remedies.
  • African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights — Jurisdiction of African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights — Admissibility — Reasonable time — Exhaustion of local remedies
28 November 2019
Court finds State violated applicant’s rights to nationality, liberty and movement; orders release and compensation.
  • Human rights
    • — Nationality — Right to nationality; burden of proof and State’s duty to rebut documentary presumptions
    • — Liberty — Arbitrary detention and continued detention after sentence; remedy of immediate release
    • — Freedom of movement — Rights of nationals lawfully present; restrictions must be lawful and proportionate
28 November 2019
Mandatory death penalty is arbitrary and violates rights to life and dignity; Court orders legal reform and re‑sentencing.
  • Human rights
    • — Criminal procedure — Fair trial — Allegations of denial of right to be heard, trial within reasonable time and trial by competent court — African Charter Article 7
    • — Right to life — Mandatory death penalty — Whether mandatory imposition arbitrarily deprives right to life by removing judicial discretion — African Charter Article 4
    • — Dignity — Execution by hanging and mandatory death penalty — Whether method and mandatory nature amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment — African Charter Article 5
28 November 2019
October 2019
Review application dismissed for failure to show newly discovered evidence and non-compliance with Rule 67.
  • Procedural law — Review of judgment — Discovery of new evidence — Article 28(3) Protocol — Rule 67 Rules of Court
  • Civil procedure — Intervention by third parties — Admissibility and delay — Requirement to show newly discovered evidence and timing
  • Human rights — Right to be heard — Written proceedings and dismissal without hearing — Rules 27 and 38 of the Rules of Court
24 October 2019
Court re-opened proceedings and deemed the State’s reparations response filed, giving the applicant 30 days to reply.
  • Human rights — Court procedure — Re-opening of pleadings and treatment of late filings — Whether the Court may re-open closed proceedings and deem late responses as duly filed — Protocol Art.22; Rules of Court r.8(2)
8 October 2019
September 2019
Court upheld jurisdiction and exhaustion but dismissed application as filed outside a reasonable time.
  • Human rights — Admissibility
    • — Exhaustion of local remedies — Ordinary judicial remedies required and State must be afforded opportunity to rectify alleged violations
    • — Reasonable time — Case‑by‑case assessment of delay; factors such as imprisonment, illiteracy and lack of legal assistance may justify delay
  • Jurisdiction — Material jurisdiction — Court may review domestic proceedings for compliance with Charter standards but is not an appellate court
26 September 2019
Court re-opened pleadings and deemed the Respondent's late response on reparations filed in the interests of justice.
  • Civil procedure — Pleadings — Re-opening of pleadings — Interests of justice — Rule 8(2) Rules of Court
  • Human rights — Criminal proceedings — Right to equal protection and right to be heard — Allegations of violations under Article 3(2) of the African Charter
26 September 2019
Court consolidated four similar fair‑trial applications against the same State under Rule 54.
  • Human rights — Joinder of cases — Application of Rule 54 where facts, alleged violations and remedies are similar
26 September 2019
Detained applicant's conviction upheld on identification and alibi, but State violated fair trial rights by denying free legal assistance.
  • Human rights
    • — Fair trial — Right to legal assistance — State obligation to provide free legal aid in serious cases — Article 7(1)(c) African Charter — Article 14(3)(d) ICCPR
    • — Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies and reasonable time — Detainee’s restricted access to information can justify delay
  • International human rights procedure — Jurisdiction — African Court may review conformity of domestic criminal proceedings with Charter standards but is not an appellate court
26 September 2019
The Court re-opened pleadings to allow the respondent State to respond to submissions on reparations in the interests of justice.
  • Civil procedure — late filing of response — interests of justice — re-opening of pleadings — opportunity to reply on reparations
26 September 2019
The court ordered the joinder of two similar applications against the same state due to their analogous facts and legal claims.
  • Civil procedure — Joinder of cases — Similarity of facts, alleged violations, and relief sought — Rule 54 of Rules of Procedure — Good administration of justice.
26 September 2019
State violated rights to appeal, speedy trial and liberty by withholding records needed to pursue appeal.
  • Human rights — Fair trial
    • — Right of appeal — Duty to provide records and access to appellate remedies within a reasonable time (Article 7(1)(a) African Charter)
    • — Reasonable time — Inordinate delay at appellate stage caused by State conduct (Article 7(1)(d) African Charter)
  • Human rights — Liberty — Arbitrary detention — Failure to ensure procedural safeguards enabling appeal (Article 6 African Charter)
26 September 2019
Applicants’ challenge to presidential mercy procedures inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies; 30‑year sentences upheld.
  • Human rights — Presidential prerogative of mercy — Exhaustion of local remedies — Article 56(5) African Charter
  • Criminal law — Sentencing — Minimum 30‑year sentence for armed robbery — Fair trial / non‑retroactivity
  • Procedure — Admissibility and reparations — No reparations where no violation established
26 September 2019
Court ordered consolidation of three co-accused applicants' applications alleging similar violations against the State under Rule 54.
  • Procedure — Joinder of cases and pleadings — Whether Rule 54 permits consolidation where multiple applicants, same respondent, identical facts and similar reliefs — Rule 54, Rules of Court
  • Judicial conduct — Recusal and separate opinion — Member's non‑participation due to nationality and attachment of separate opinion — Article 22 Protocol; Article 28(7) Protocol & Rule 60(5), Rules of Court
26 September 2019
Applicant’s request for provisional release to Tanzania dismissed as moot after his release to Rwanda.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — Mootness where applicant subsequently released to another State — Article 27(2) Protocol
  • Jurisdiction — Prima facie ratione materiae jurisdiction — Application of Article 3 of the Protocol and related human rights instruments
26 September 2019
Court ordered consolidation of two human-rights applications alleging fair-trial and related violations arising from criminal convictions.
  • Civil procedure — Joinder of cases — Court’s discretion under Rule 54 — Joinder justified by similarity of facts, parties and reliefs
  • Human rights — Fair trial; equality; dignity; access to justice; effective remedy — Allegations arising from criminal conviction and sentencing
  • Judicial conduct — Recusal — Judge of same nationality recused; separate opinion attached (Article 28(7), Rule 60(5))
13 September 2019
August 2019
The court ordered the reopening of pleadings to permit consideration of a late-filed reply in a fair trial dispute.
  • Civil procedure — reopening of pleadings — late filing of reply — interests of justice — fair trial rights — opportunity to be heard.
27 August 2019
The Court reopened pleadings to allow late submissions on reparations in the interest of justice.
  • African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights — procedural law — reopening of pleadings — interests of justice — late filing of response — right to reply — reparations.
19 August 2019
The Court re-opened pleadings to admit a late response in the interests of justice and procedural fairness.
  • Civil procedure — African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights — re-opening of pleadings — late filing of submissions — interests of justice — fair hearing
19 August 2019
The court reopened reparations proceedings, accepting a late response to ensure procedural fairness and a fair hearing for both parties.
  • African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights — Procedure — Reopening of pleadings — Late filing of submissions — Fair hearing — Reparations phase
19 August 2019
The Court declined to grant provisional measures, finding no extreme gravity or urgency justifying interim relief.
  • Provisional measures — African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights — threshold of extreme gravity and urgency — irreparable harm — mootness of relief — jurisdiction to entertain requests for interim protection under the Charter and Protocol.
8 August 2019
Court reopened reparations proceedings and accepted the State’s late response, ordering a 30-day reply.
  • Human rights — Reparations — Reopening proceedings and acceptance of late filings — Interest of justice
  • Procedure — Rules of Court — Rule 63 — Timelines for reparations submissions
7 August 2019
July 2019
Court awards modest moral damages, dismisses material loss claim, orders publication and periodic reporting.
  • Human rights
    • — Reparations — Jurisdiction to award reparations for violations arising before a State’s declaration — Article 27(1) Protocol
    • — Fair trial — Remedies — Assessment of pecuniary and non‑pecuniary reparations, proof of material loss and presumed moral prejudice
4 July 2019
Private landowners’ late intervention applications dismissed: only States may seek to join proceedings and applications were untimely.
  • Human rights — Intervention
    • — Non‑State parties — Whether private individuals may intervene under Article 5(2) of the Protocol and Rule 53 of the Rules
    • — Timing and procedure — Leave to intervene must be sought as soon as possible and before closure of written proceedings — Rule 53(1)
4 July 2019
Review dismissed because the applicant failed to present new evidence showing exhaustion of local remedies.
  • Human rights — Review of judgment — Discovery of new evidence as basis for revision — Exhaustion of local remedies — Rule 67(1) of the Rules of Court
4 July 2019
Charter claim of excessive trial delay dismissed as inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Human rights — Fair trial — Right to be tried within a reasonable time — Exhaustion of local remedies
  • Procedure — Admissibility — Compliance with Constitutive Act and Charter — Allegations of Charter violations suffice where demonstrated
4 July 2019
Review application dismissed for failure to produce new evidence under Rule 67; each party to bear its own costs.
  • Human Rights — Review of judgment — Discovery of new evidence — Requirements under Rule 67(1) of the Rules of Court
  • Procedure — Admissibility of review — Restatement of previously litigated grounds does not constitute new evidence
4 July 2019
Applicant’s failure to exhaust ordinary domestic judicial remedies rendered the human‑rights application inadmissible despite Court jurisdiction.
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction — State withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration and one‑year transitional filing period — Protocol Article 34(6)
  • Human rights — Admissibility
    • — Exhaustion of local remedies — Requirement to pursue ordinary judicial remedies before the Court — Article 56 of the African Charter; Rule 40 of the Rules
    • — Unavailability/exceptions to exhaustion — Claim of unavailability due to security forces involvement requires evidential support
4 July 2019
Application alleging unlawful confiscation and sale of vehicle dismissed for failure to exhaust local remedies.
  • Human rights
    • — Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies — Availability, effectiveness and burden of proof
    • — Jurisdiction — State withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration — One‑year transitional filing rule
    • — Property rights — Alleged arbitrary seizure and sale of property — Merits not reached due to inadmissibility
4 July 2019
Application alleging unlawful seizure and sale of vehicle inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies despite Court's jurisdiction.
  • Human rights — Property rights — Seizure and sale of vehicle — Exhaustion of domestic remedies — Exceptions to exhaustion must be substantiated
  • Procedure — Jurisdiction — Effect of withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration — One‑year transitional period for filings
4 July 2019
Court awarded limited pecuniary and moral reparations for delay and lack of legal aid, denied release and ordered publication and reporting.
  • Human rights
    • — Fair trial — Right to be tried within reasonable time and right to legal aid — Reparations and measurement of prejudice
    • — Reparations — Proof of material loss, assessment of moral damages and awards to indirect victims
  • Remedies — Release, non-repetition, publication and reporting — Exceptional nature of release and publication as measure of satisfaction
4 July 2019
Applicant awarded limited moral damages for unfair trial and lack of legal aid; material damages and costs dismissed.
  • Human rights — Reparations — Compensation for unfair trial and failure to provide legal aid — Assessment of material and moral prejudice
  • Civil procedure/Remedies — Reparations — Proof and causal link required for material damages, presumptions for moral prejudice
  • Human rights — Measures of satisfaction and implementation — Publication and reporting; legal aid legislative reform as non‑repetition measure
4 July 2019
The Court ordered the joinder of two applications by the same applicant against the same respondent due to related subject matter.
  • African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights — Joinder of cases — Rule 54 — Identity of parties and subject matter — Procedural order.
4 July 2019
June 2019
Challenge to Supreme Court review held not to breach rights to equality, non‑discrimination, or fair trial.
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction — Effect of ratification and Article 34(6) declaration — Domestication of the Protocol not required
  • Admissibility — Exhaustion of local remedies — Exception where domestic remedy would be ineffective to remedy alleged Supreme Court decision
  • Fair trial — Article 7 — Impartiality — Participation of same judges on Ordinary and Review Benches and judicial comments do not automatically establish bias
28 June 2019