African Court begins 39th Ordinary Session in Arusha
Nov 11, 2015
THE African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR) started its 39th Ordinary Session of the Judges to run until 20 November, 2015 at its seat in Arusha, Tanzania
By Vision Reporter
THE African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR) started its 39th Ordinary Session of the Judges to run until 20 November, 2015 at its seat in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Judges, among others, will deliberate on over 30 applications and requests for Advisory Opinions.
On 20 November, the Court is expected to deliver judgment in Application 005/2013 (Alex Thomas versus the United Republic of Tanzania).
Thomas, who has been imprisoned for 30 years for robbery, is seeking from the African Court remedies, among others, on alleged wrongful conviction and unfair trail he received in his native Tanzania in 1998 and which was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2009.
Immediately after the 39th Ordinary Session, the Court will commence its 7th Extra-Ordinary Session from 23-27 dedicated to the review of the Rules of Court.
The African Court is an organ of the African Union composed of eleven judges, nationals of member states of the African Union elected in their individual capacity.
Uganda is represented by Justice Solomy Balungi Bossa, a former judge with the High Court of Uganda, where she served for sixteen years.
The Court meets four times a year in Ordinary Sessions as well as in Extra-ordinary Sessions convened by its President or at the request of a majority of the Members of the Court.
According to Sukhdev Chhatbar, the Courts' Head of Communications, by 31 October, 2015 they had received 59 individual applications of which 21 have been finalized.
Four applications have been transferred to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Uganda ratified the African Court making the country signatory to its' precedents although it has not deposited a declaration which enables individuals, civil society groups and NGOs to directly report cases on human rights abuse.
According to the Protocol on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, Member States that ratify the Protocol, spontaneously comply with the Court's decisions.