African System – International Justice Resource Center

African Rights Court Issues Landmark Advisory Opinion Rejecting Vagrancy Laws

December 9, 2020 IJRC African System, children, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, equal protection, family, international human rights, liberty & security of person, women's rights

On December 4, 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) published and delivered an advisory opinion declaring national laws that criminalize vagrancy to be incompatible with human rights standards. [AfCHPR Press Release] The opinion concludes that laws that essentially criminalize homelessness, poverty, or unemployment are overly broad and allow for abuse. The Court held that such laws

African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Adopts New Rules

October 7, 2020 IJRC African System, international human rights

On September 28, 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) announced the publication of its revised Rules of Court, which entered into force on September 25. [AfCHPR Press Release] The new Rules replace those that had been in place since June 2010. See AfCHPR, Rules of Court (1 Sept. 2020). Currently, the 2020 Rules are available in

AfCHPR Assesses Compliance, Withdrawal in Judgment on Côte d’Ivoire Electoral Commission

August 11, 2020 IJRC African System, democracy & political rights, International Criminal Court, international human rights

In a judgment issued on July 15, 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) again analyzed the independence and impartiality of Côte d’Ivoire’s election oversight body, in the context of an increasingly tense election year. The Court determined that it had competence to decide whether the State had complied with its 2016 judgment regarding the Independent Electoral

Germany Arrests Gambian Ex-Soldiers, As Transitional Justice Efforts Continue

July 15, 2020 IJRC African System, crime & impunity, international human rights, regional human rights protection, reparations, transitional justice

Germany has arrested seven asylum seekers from The Gambia who are suspected of having committed crimes against humanity during the 22-year rule of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. [TDN] The arrests come as The Gambia takes steps towards justice and reconciliation, primarily via its Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which has been holding public hearings since January 2019. [JusticeInfo]

Four Members Join African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

July 2, 2020 IJRC African System, civil society, international human rights, regional human rights protection

On June 29, during its virtual 28th Extraordinary Session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) swore in four new Commissioners who will begin six-year terms. They are: Marie Louise Abomo (Cameroon), Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga (Zambia), Ndiamé Gaye (Senegal), and Alexia Gertrude Amesbury (Seychelles). [ACHPR Press Release; ISHR] The Commissioners were appointed during the 33rd Ordinary Session of the

Benin and Côte d’Ivoire to Withdraw Individual Access to African Court

May 6, 2020 IJRC African System, civil society, international human rights, regional human rights protection

Access to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) is likely to further shrink next year, following announcements by Côte d’Ivoire and Benin that they will withdraw their acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction over human rights complaints by individuals and non-governmental organizations. [RFI; Government of Benin Press Release] News of the announcements came days after the AfCHPR issued provisional measures

New ACHPR Declaration on Freedom of Expression & Access to Information

April 22, 2020 IJRC African System, international human rights, regional human rights protection, thought, expression & association

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has published a new Declaration on Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (Declaration), which replaces its 2002 principles on freedom of expression, and expands the guidance to States on access to information and digital rights. [ACHPR Press Release] The Declaration – a soft law document that

ACHPR Publishes Special Mechanism Rules Ahead of New Rules of Procedure

April 15, 2020 IJRC African System, Inter-American System, international human rights, regional human rights protection, Universal system

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has published new rules that partially clarify and formalize the work of the individuals and groups appointed to monitor and protect specific human rights and vulnerable groups on the Commission’s behalf. See ACommHPR, Standard Operating Procedures on the Special Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2020). The

March 2020: UN Treaty Bodies, Human Rights Council, and Regional Bodies in Session

March 2, 2020 IJRC African System, civil society, European System, Inter-American System, international human rights, monthly overview, regional human rights protection, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, Universal system

In March, universal and regional human rights bodies and experts will assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through the consideration of State and civil society reports and country visits. Five United Nations treaty bodies and two pre-sessional working groups will be in session to assess States’ progress regarding economic, social and cultural rights; children’s rights; civil and political