African Court on Human and Peoples Rights

480 judgments
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Results. 480 judgments found.

480 judgments
March 2026
An application may be struck out under Rule 65 where applicants fail to pursue proceedings or respond to Court directions.
  • Civil procedure — striking out — Striking out permits re‑institution after cure — Rule 65(1) discretion; restoration under Rule 65(3)
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction despite withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration — No bearing on pending cases filed before withdrawal took effect
25 March 2026
December 2025
Court finds partial non‑compliance by the State with reparations orders and orders immediate implementation and reporting.
  • Civil procedure — Compliance monitoring — jurisdiction
    • — inadequate consultation and recognition of indigenous peoples
    • — non‑compliance with reparations: unpaid pecuniary awards
  • Civil procedure — publication and reporting obligations — provisional measures declined
4 December 2025
Failure to provide constitutional review mechanisms violated the applicant’s right to a fair trial, but not her right to terminate marriage.
  • Human rights
    • — Fair trial — Constitutional Court declination to review matters of legality/community law does not necessarily violate Article 7(1)(a) of the Charter — Whether absence of an operational Constitutional Court denies access to constitutional review and the right to have one’s cause heard
    • — Family law — Termination of marriage — Effect of appeal on finality of divorce and equality in application of law
4 December 2025
Applicant failed to prove extreme gravity, urgency and irreparable harm; provisional measures to stay enforcement were dismissed.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — requirements of extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm — Burden on applicant to provide concrete evidence
  • Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction for provisional measures — Jurisdiction under the African Charter and the Protocol — Article 34(6) Declaration
4 December 2025
Court reopened pleadings and allowed the Respondent’s out‑of‑time response under Rule 46(3) in the interest of justice.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure
    • — context: death‑penalty case involving killing of a person with albinism
    • — Reopening pleadings
2 December 2025
October 2025
Application struck out for failure to pursue proceedings and inability to locate applicant; restoration allowed on good cause.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure — Striking out
9 October 2025
September 2025
Court reopened pleadings and admitted respondent’s post‑closure submission on new electoral legislation in the interests of justice.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure — Reopening pleadings
15 September 2025
August 2025
Court reopened pleadings to admit Respondent’s additional election-related evidence, denying applicants’ request for an expedited decision.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure — Reopening pleadings
5 August 2025
June 2025
Court affirms jurisdiction and admissibility, including extraterritorial reach, over inter-State human-rights claims arising from an internationalized armed conflict.
  • Civil procedure — Inter-state human-rights jurisdiction — extraterritorial jurisdiction in armed conflict — internationalization by State involvement — admissibility: non-judicial procedures, abuse of process, exhaustion of local remedies, media-sourced evidence, lis pendens/res judicata
26 June 2025
By default, the Court found removal from the voters’ register based on a final criminal conviction did not breach the applicant’s rights.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure
    • — Default judgment against a State
      • — Jurisdiction and admissibility
    • — Exhaustion of local remedies
      • — Electoral law
    • — Reliance on finality of criminal convictions (certificate of non-opposition)
      • — Presumption of innocence
    • — Restrictions on political participation
      • — Proportionality of electoral disqualifications
    • — Voter registration
26 June 2025
Mandatory death sentences and hanging violate the rights to life and human dignity; no assessor bias found.
  • Jurisdiction
    • — admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies
    • — fair trial
      • — assessor impartiality
      • — equality before the law
    • — hanging
      • — cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
      • — reparations and domestic law reform
    • — mandatory death penalty — arbitrariness
26 June 2025
Application declared inadmissible for failure to exhaust local remedies; Court rendered judgment in default after State’s non‑response.
  • Civil procedure — Default (ex parte) judgment — Failure of State to file response — Court’s power to enter judgment in default (Rule 63(1))
  • Human rights — Admissibility and exhaustion of local remedies — Exhaustion of local remedies before domestic courts
  • Jurisdiction — Competence despite withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration — Effectiveness of withdrawal subject to one‑year period
26 June 2025
Failure to deliver two appellate judgments in open court violated the applicant's fair trial right; property claim dismissed.
  • Civil procedure
    • — Fair trial — delivery of judgments in open court
    • — Human rights jurisdiction — admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies
    • — Property rights — auction disputes
    • — Reparations — moral damages and publication orders
    • — State responsibility — acts of judicial organs
26 June 2025
Mandatory death penalty and hanging, police brutality, and ineffective state-provided counsel violated the applicant’s Charter rights.
  • Human rights
    • — Capital punishment — Mandatory death penalty — Removal of judicial discretion violates Article 4 (right to life)
    • — Dignity — Police brutality and failure to investigate — Prohibition of torture and obligation to investigate and provide medical care
    • — Fair trial — Right to Legal Assistance — Obligation to provide free counsel in serious criminal cases where interests of justice require it
26 June 2025
Request to suspend prosecutor’s summons dismissed for lack of urgency and irreparable harm.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — requirements of extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm — Prima facie jurisdiction and effect of applicant’s delay on urgency
26 June 2025
Application declared inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies amid ongoing criminal proceedings.
  • Civil procedure — Default judgment — Court’s discretion to enter judgment where defendant fails to file defence
  • Human rights — Admissibility and exhaustion of local remedies — Exhaustion of local remedies before domestic courts
  • Jurisdiction — Personal jurisdiction — Withdrawal of Article 34(6) Declaration
26 June 2025
Whether promotion criteria application and a judicial reversal breached equality and appeal rights under the African Charter.
  • Human rights — equality before the law
    • — Administrative selection and alleged discrimination in police promotions — Burden of proof and requirement for substantiation
    • — Lawfulness of Supreme Court jurisprudential reversal and non‑discrimination
  • Human rights — Right to be heard and effective remedy (Article 7(1), 7(1)(a)) — Appeal time‑limits and service requirements — Article 7(1)(a) of the African Charter
26 June 2025
Court dismissed provisional measures request as it would prejudge the merits despite prima facie jurisdiction.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures
    • — Provisional measures cannot pre‑judge the merits
    • — requirements of extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm
  • Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction for provisional measures — Whether Court may exercise jurisdiction despite availability of regional WAEMU remedies
26 June 2025
Applicant’s challenge to amnesty law and post‑election killings dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Amnesty law; post‑election violence; right to life; right to dignity; right to a fair hearing; jurisdiction of African Court to review Charter compliance (not as appellate court); power to order repeal as remedial measure; inadmissibility for failure to exhaust effective domestic remedies (Constitutional Court).
26 June 2025
Application inadmissible for failure to exhaust available Constitutional Court remedies; Court otherwise affirms jurisdiction.
  • Criminal law — Admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies
26 June 2025
The Court struck an NGO and non-consenting States for lack of jurisdiction; the case proceeds against six qualifying States.
  • Jurisdiction — Admissibility of applicants and respondents — NGO standing and observer status before the African Commission
17 June 2025
Court exercised its discretion to reopen pleadings and deemed a late respondent’s Response properly filed.
  • Civil procedure — Re-opening of pleadings — Court’s discretion under Rule 46(3) and inherent powers under Rule 90 — Granting extension and deeming late response filed
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction despite withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration — No bearing on pending cases filed before withdrawal took effect
2 June 2025
May 2025
Court reopens pleadings and gives Tanzania seven days to file a response in an electoral political‑participation rights case.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure — Reopening pleadings
20 May 2025
February 2025
The Court reopened pleadings in an electoral-rights application and admitted two organisations as amici curiae.
  • Election law
    • — Elections — Right to participate
    • — IHRDA) — Service of additional submissions and 30-day response period
28 February 2025
Court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate claims against the AU/AUC because they are not State Parties to the Protocol.
  • Jurisdiction — African Court — international organisations not parties to the Protocol (AU/AUC) cannot be sued before the Court — manifest lack of jurisdiction (Femi Falana precedent)
12 February 2025
Failure to provide automatic free legal aid for a serious charge violated the applicant’s right to a fair trial.
  • Human rights
    • — Fair trial — free legal assistance for indigent accused charged with serious offence
    • — Remedies and reparations — Legislative amendment, publication and reporting obligations
  • Jurisdiction — admissibility — Review of domestic proceedings for conformity with Charter standards — Power to order reparations including legislative measures
5 February 2025
Application dismissed as inadmissible for failure to pursue available cassation remedy in alleged fair-trial claims.
5 February 2025
Application dismissed as inadmissible for failure to exhaust available domestic remedies under Tunisian procedure.
  • Human rights
    • — Admissibility and exhaustion of local remedies — Exhaustion of local remedies before domestic courts — Whether lack of counsel or ignorance excuses failure to appeal to the Cour de Cassation, and requirement that domestic remedies be available, effective and not unduly prolonged
    • — Jurisdiction — Scope of the African Court’s material jurisdiction to examine alleged Charter violations without acting as an appellate court
5 February 2025
State liable for widespread violence against persons with albinism for failing to prevent, investigate and redress abuses.
  • Human rights — Persons with albinism
    • — Admissibility: NGOs' locus standi and exhaustion of local remedies
    • — Non-discrimination and due-diligence obligations
    • — Reparations: fund, legislative reform, national plan and implementation reporting
    • — Right to health and education
    • — State liability for failure to prevent, investigate and prosecute attacks
      • — Children's rights, trafficking and best interests
5 February 2025
Court found mandatory death penalty and hanging unlawful, ordered vacatur of sentence, new sentencing and legislative reform.
  • Criminal law
    • — Mandatory death penalty — Violation of right to life
    • — Method of execution (hanging) — Violation of inherent dignity
    • — Remedies — Vacation of death sentence, new sentencing hearing, reparations, publication and implementation reporting
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction and admissibility — Exhaustion of domestic remedies and reasonable time
5 February 2025
Default judgment entered for State non‑participation; Application inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Civil procedure — admissibility
    • — exhaustion of local remedies required
    • — Withdrawal of Article 34(6) declaration has no retroactive effect on pending applications
  • Civil procedure — Costs — each party bears own costs
  • Civil procedure — Default judgment — State’s failure to respond despite service
5 February 2025
Court affirms jurisdiction but declares application inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Human rights
    • — Admissibility and exhaustion of local remedies — Exhaustion of local remedies before domestic courts
    • — Jurisdiction — Material jurisdiction to review conformity of national proceedings with the Charter, not to act as appellate court
    • — jurisdiction of African Court to review compliance of domestic proceedings with Charter standards — not an appellate role
5 February 2025
November 2024
Court reopened pleadings and granted the State 30 days to file its response, exercising its procedural discretion and inherent powers.
  • Human rights
    • — Jurisdiction — Withdrawal of Article 34(6) Declaration — Effect on pending and newly filed cases
    • — Reopening pleadings and extension of time — Court’s discretion
29 November 2024
Court dismissed applicants' request to suspend their dismissals for failure to prove urgency and irreparable harm.
  • Human rights
    • — Jurisdiction — Prima facie jurisdiction to indicate provisional measures — Protocol Arts. 3(1), 34(6)
    • — Provisional measures — requirements of extreme gravity, urgency and prevention of irreparable harm — Applicant bears burden to prove causal link and imminence
20 November 2024
Mandatory death sentences and hanging violate rights to life and dignity; fair‑trial complaint dismissed.
  • Human rights — Criminal procedure — Fair trial (Article 7) — Assessment of witness contradictions and sufficiency of evidence
  • Human rights — death penalty
    • — Mandatory death sentence — Compatibility with right to life (Article 4)
    • — Method of execution — Hanging and violation of inherent dignity (Article 5)
13 November 2024
Fair‑trial complaints dismissed: Court finds no violations and denies reparations.
  • Civil procedure — Remedies — Reparations — No reparation where Court finds no violation warranting remedy
  • Criminal procedure — Evidence — Conviction on basis of exhibits and witness testimony — Whether reliance on such evidence was manifestly arbitrary or caused a miscarriage of justice
  • Human rights — Fair trial — Right to appeal and to be heard — Whether refusal to stay proceedings or alleged failure to transmit appeal record breaches Article 7(1)(a)
13 November 2024
Application challenging electoral-law amendments declared inadmissible for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Civil procedure — Procedure — Default — State’s failure to file response — Court may render judgment in default suo motu
  • Human rights — Elections — Right to participate — Exhaustion of local remedies — Constitutional petition versus ordinary courts
13 November 2024
Application challenging patrilineal surname rule became moot after legislative amendment granting parents equal surname choice.
  • Criminal law — Admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies and reasonable time — Constitutional Court remedy available and requirement satisfied
  • Human rights — Equality between men and women — Family law and surname transmission — Alleged discrimination
  • Jurisdiction — Material and personal jurisdiction — International court may assess compliance of domestic constitutional decisions with international human rights obligations
13 November 2024
Mandatory death penalty and hanging violate the applicant's rights to life and dignity; moral damages and resentencing ordered.
  • Human rights — Criminal law
    • — Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
      • — Execution by hanging
    • — Exhaustion of domestic remedies and default judgment
    • — Mandatory death penalty
      • — Violation of right to life (Article 4)Human rights
    • — Violation of dignity (Article 5)Procedure
      • — Admissibility & jurisdiction
13 November 2024
Mandatory death sentence and hanging violated the applicant’s rights to life and dignity; fair-trial claims were dismissed.
  • Jurisdiction; admissibility (exhaustion and reasonable time); adequacy of evidence and reliance on DNA; fair trial standards; mandatory death penalty as arbitrary and violating right to life; hanging as cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment violating dignity; remedies including vacatur of mandatory death sentence, rehearing, legislative repeal, damages, publication and reporting.
13 November 2024
Application dismissed as inadmissible for failure to exhaust the available cassation remedy in domestic courts.
  • Human rights
    • — Admissibility and exhaustion of local remedies — Exhaustion of local remedies before domestic courts — Whether lack of counsel or ignorance excuses failure to appeal to the Cour de Cassation, and requirement that domestic remedies be available, effective and not unduly prolonged
    • — Fair trial — right to defence — Requirement to exhaust available domestic remedies under Article 56 of the African Charter
13 November 2024
The applicant failed to prove violations of the rights to be heard, equal protection, or dignity; application dismissed.
  • Criminal procedure
    • — admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies and reasonable time
    • — Dignity and prohibition of torture (Article 5) — allegations
    • — Equal protection (Article 3(2)) — unsubstantiated claims
    • — Right to be heard (Article 7(1)) — Assessment of evidence and single-witness rule — Burden of proof
13 November 2024
Applicant’s torture and evidence claims dismissed; Court finds mandatory death penalty and hanging violate rights, orders reforms and reparations.
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction of the Court
    • — Admissibility (exhaustion of domestic remedies and reasonable time)
      • — Torture and dignity
    • — Fair trial and admissibility of confession
      • — Mandatory death penalty arbitrary
    • — Hanging incompatible with dignity
    • — Remedies: moral damages, vacating death sentence, legislative reform, rehearing and reporting
13 November 2024
Court upholds constitution’s adoption by Constituent Assembly but finds violations of judicial and legislative independence.
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction and admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies — reasonable time
  • Human rights — Legislative independence — suspension/dissolution of Parliament and assumption of decree-based legislative power
  • Human rights — Peoples’ right to self-determination — constitutional adoption by an elected Constituent Assembly — referendum not mandatory
  • Human rights — reparations — institutional remedies and reporting obligations
  • Human rights — Separation of powers — judicial independence
    • — abolition/replacement of constitutional oversight bodies
    • — Executive interference in judges’ promotion, discipline and dismissal
13 November 2024
Court granted Kenya 90 days to file an implementation report, reserved costs, and adjourned the compliance hearing sine die.
  • Civil procedure — Procedural law — Costs — Determination reserved pending further proceedings
  • Human rights
    • — Compliance with judgments — Adjournment to file implementation report
    • — Indigenous peoples — Alleged continuing eviction of the Ogiek in the Mau Forest — To be determined at scheduled compliance hearing
12 November 2024
October 2024
Court ordered suspension of detention to secure specialised medical care, finding extreme gravity, urgency and risk of irreparable harm.
  • Human rights — Provisional measures — suspension of detention to enable specialist medical treatment — Protocol art 27(2)
29 October 2024
Court reopened pleadings to accept the State’s late response in a death‑penalty fair‑trial complaint.
  • Civil procedure — Re-opening of pleadings — Court’s discretion under Rule 46(3) and inherent powers under Rule 90 — Acceptance of late filings in the interests of justice
  • Human rights
    • — Fair trial — Bias and appearance of impartiality — Whether domestic proceedings violated Articles 7 and 3(1) — (2) of the African Charter
    • — death penalty — Provisional measures: stay of execution pending adjudication where there is risk of irreparable harm — Stay of execution pending determination of alleged fair‑trial violations
28 October 2024
Application dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction because the State had not deposited the Article 34(6) declaration.
  • Civil procedure — admissibility — Subsequent application based on previously determined proceedings treated as new application for jurisdictional purposes
  • Human rights — Jurisdiction — Personal jurisdiction of the African Court where State has not deposited Article 34(6) declaration
16 October 2024
September 2024
Application alleging prolonged pre-trial detention dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
  • Civil procedure — admissibility — exhaustion of local remedies
  • Human rights — Pre-trial detention — Alleged arbitrary or prolonged detention and related fair-trial rights
3 September 2024
Court found multiple fair‑trial and torture violations and held mandatory death penalty unlawful, ordering vacatur and law reform.
  • Human rights — death penalty — Mandatory sentencing — Arbitrary deprivation of life (Charter Art.4)
  • Human rights — Fair trial
    • — Consular assistance — VCCR Art.36 & Charter Art.7(1)(c)
    • — Interpretation services — ICCPR Art.14(3)(a) & Charter Art.7(1)(c)
  • Human rights — Torture and detention conditions — Police brutality, death‑row phenomenon, method of execution (hanging) — Charter Art.5
3 September 2024