East African Court of Justice - 2024

16 judgments
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16 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
November 2024
The applicant's challenge to mandatory pregnancy testing and expulsion was dismissed as time‑barred under Article 30(2).
Treaty jurisdiction – Article 30(2) two‑month limitation; ratione temporis; pre‑existing policy v later statements; time‑barred complaints; jurisdictional dismissal.
29 November 2024
Court found jurisdiction and a cause of action but dismissed the Reference as moot after the respondent State’s accession to the EAC.
EAC law — Admission of new member — Jurisdiction ratione materiae under Articles 23 and 27(1) — Cause of action under Article 30(1) — Mootness/overtaken by events after accession — Pre‑accession human‑rights violations not governed by Treaty (pacta sunt servanda/Vienna Convention).
29 November 2024
Whether a constitutional electoral commission may intervene and whether overlapping intervention applications should be consolidated.
Procedure – Intervention by constitutional body – Leave to intervene under Article 40 and Rule 59 – Overlapping interlocutory applications – Consolidation and judicial economy versus procedural fairness – Unified decision on substantively identical intervention applications.
28 November 2024
A constitutional commission’s bid to intervene was dismissed for lack of a distinct, indispensable interest and potential duplication.
Intervention – Article 40 Treaty – Rule 59(4) – standing of state organ/constitutional commission to intervene – distinction between Article 30 References and Article 40 intervention – requirement of direct and substantial interest – avoidance of duplicative representation – preliminary objection on jurisdiction dismissed.
28 November 2024
EACJ may review Partner State compliance with the Treaty but lacks appellate power to overturn or stay apex court judgments.
Jurisdiction — East African Court of Justice — distinction between Treaty-compliance review and appellate/merit review — Articles 6 and 7 Treaty — limits on staying or overturning Partner State apex court decisions — separability doctrine — interim conservatory relief.
28 November 2024
Repossession of purchased land without compensation violated national law and Treaty; applicant awarded compensation entitlement and US$5,000,000 general damages.
Property law — Purchase from concessionaire — Cabinet/ministerial authorisation to dispose — Cancellation of title and repossession without hearing or compensation — Violation of national law and Treaty (Articles 6(d), 7(2)) — Locus standi of deceased's estate — Compensation and general damages.
28 November 2024
Court affirmed Treaty jurisdiction but refused interim injunctions for lack of demonstrated irreparable harm.
Treaty interpretation – Jurisdiction ratione materiae under Articles 27(1) & 30(1); exhaustion of local remedies not mandatory; interim orders – trifold test (serious triable issue; irreparable injury; balance of convenience); refusal where irreparable harm not shown and attempted stay of non‑existent taxation deemed abuse of process.
26 November 2024
The Court lacked jurisdiction over African Charter complaints and dismissed the untimely Reference, awarding costs to the respondent.
Jurisdiction — ratione materiae v. ratione temporis — EACJ jurisdiction limited to Treaty interpretation and application; African Charter/African Commission matters are external; Article 30(2) two‑month time bar; consolidation refused where no jurisdiction.
26 November 2024
October 2024
A reference challenging tariff preference denial was dismissed as time-barred for being filed one day late.
Treaty procedure — Article 30(2) limitation — computation of months under Laws of the Community (Interpretation) Act s.63 — corresponding-date rule (corresponding date less one) — jurisdiction ratione temporis — time-bar — preferential tariff/Rules of Origin challenge not reached on merits.
11 October 2024
Reference dismissed for being unsupported by a mandatory affidavit and for lack of authorised representation of the 2nd Applicant.
Civil procedure – Competency of Reference – Requirement for supporting affidavit under Rule 25(3) – Corporate representation and locus standi under Rule 19(5) – Affidavits as evidence not amenable to amendment – Prior expurgated affidavit cannot support subsequent filing.
10 October 2024
March 2024
Recusal application dismissed for delay and failure to establish reasonable apprehension of judicial bias; costs awarded to respondent.
Judicial recusal — reasonable apprehension of bias — presumption of impartiality — burden on applicant to adduce objective evidence — timing/abuse of process — judge’s duty to sit — costs follow the event.
27 March 2024
Court held Tanzania's 2019 amendments did not breach EAC Treaty or Common Market Protocol and dismissed the Reference.
Treaty compliance — national legislation — three-part proportionality test (law/clarity; pressing and substantial objective; proportionality) — public participation and certificate of urgency — clarity of statutory language — regulation of NGOs, companies, societies and film industry — alignment with anti–money laundering obligations — remedial avenues and judicial review.
27 March 2024
No Treaty breach found; applicants failed to prove lawful land ownership—Reference dismissed.
Treaty law – Articles 6(d) & 7(2) (good governance, rule of law) – Procedural fairness – Special Court procedure (Article 58) – Joining preliminary questions with merits (Article 5 principle) – Customary land acquisition vs. formal title – Burden of proof – Reliefs and costs.
27 March 2024
The Court dismissed the Reference and Application as time-barred under Article 30(2), holding the MoU signing began the two-month limitation.
Treaty time-limits – Article 30(2) EAC Treaty – two-month limitation – starting point: act first effected (signing of MoU) – arrival of implementation equipment not a new cause – no power to extend time – jurisdiction ratione temporis – dismissal of time-barred Reference.
26 March 2024
Reference dismissed: Court lacks jurisdiction over pre-accession acts and the claim is time-barred under Article 30(2).
Treaty jurisdiction – ratione temporis – Article 30(2) two-month limitation – non-retroactivity of Treaty – knowledge of cause of action – time-bar – costs discretion.
26 March 2024
February 2024
State cancellation of a land title without forensic proof breaches Article 6(d); trial court awarded excessive relief (ultra petita).
Property law – Presumption of authenticity of title deeds – Allegation of fraudulent title requires special action/forensic inquiry under domestic law; Treaty (Art. 6(d), 7(2)) – state cancellation without proof breaches rule of law; Appellate jurisdiction (Arts. 35/35A) – limits of appeal; Ultra petita – remedy remitted to trial court.
27 February 2024