The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights: The System in Practice 1986-2006

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Contributors......Page 9
Table of Cases......Page 14
Abbreviations......Page 23
Editors’ Preface......Page 25
The process of the elaboration and adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 29
Creation and composition......Page 36
Organisation......Page 38
Seat......Page 39
Secretariat......Page 40
Sessions......Page 44
Conclusion......Page 47
Introduction......Page 48
The primacy of human rights and democratic principles......Page 49
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Fatally Flawed?......Page 52
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 62
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – a troubled relationship?......Page 68
Protocols additional to the African Charter......Page 72
The African Charter in light of the African Union......Page 73
Conclusion......Page 75
2 The State Reporting Mechanism of the African Charter......Page 77
The objectives of the reporting procedure under the African Charter......Page 78
The practice concerning the reporting obligation under the African Charter......Page 80
The content of State reports......Page 85
Reports under the reporting guidelines......Page 87
The amendment to the Guidelines......Page 89
Evaluation......Page 90
Language and translation......Page 93
The level of State representation......Page 94
Examination......Page 95
Timing......Page 96
Conclusions and follow-up......Page 97
NGOS, national human rights institutions and alternate/shadow reports......Page 98
The role of the African Union......Page 100
Conclusion......Page 101
Introduction and overview of the individual communications procedure......Page 104
Seizure......Page 105
Merits......Page 106
Remedies......Page 107
Amicable settlements......Page 108
Provisional measures......Page 113
Withdrawal and closure of the file......Page 115
Procedure for consideration of admissibility......Page 116
Grounds for admissibility......Page 120
Identity of the author......Page 121
The communication must be compatible with the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter......Page 122
Compatibility ‘ratione materiae’......Page 124
Compatibility ‘ratione personae’......Page 128
Compatibility ‘ratione temporis’......Page 133
Compatibility ‘ratione loci’......Page 135
Communications must not be written in disparaging language......Page 136
Communications must not be based solely on media information......Page 138
Communications must be sent after local remedies have been exhausted......Page 139
‘Exhaustion’......Page 140
A ‘local remedy’......Page 142
An available remedy (‘if any’)......Page 145
Exemptions......Page 146
The length of the procedure......Page 152
Communications must not have already been settled in terms of international law......Page 153
Locus standi before the Court......Page 157
Admissibility......Page 158
Substantive jurisdiction of the Court......Page 159
The temporal jurisdiction of the Court......Page 161
Inter-State communications......Page 162
Conclusion......Page 165
Introduction......Page 167
Written material......Page 169
Oral hearings......Page 171
Missions......Page 174
Rules of evidence......Page 176
Burden of proof......Page 177
Standard of proof......Page 187
Admissibility and issues of weight......Page 190
Aims of the communication procedure......Page 195
Conclusion......Page 198
State obligations......Page 199
Non-discrimination and equal protection......Page 205
Race, ethnic group, colour, language, national origin......Page 207
Sex......Page 209
Political or other opinion......Page 210
Other status......Page 211
Right to life......Page 212
Summary executions......Page 213
Death penalty......Page 217
Right to dignity and recognition of legal status; prohibition of torture......Page 219
Torture and inhuman treatment or punishment......Page 220
Prison conditions......Page 221
Shari’a punishments......Page 222
Human dignity......Page 223
Liberty......Page 225
Right to a fair trial......Page 226
Article 7(1)(a) – appeal to competent national organs......Page 228
Article 7(1)(b) – presumption of innocence......Page 230
Article 7(1)(c): Right to defence and counsel of one’s choice......Page 231
Article 7(1)(d) – trial within reasonable time by an impartial tribunal......Page 232
Article 7(2) – no retroactive laws......Page 233
Article 26 – judicial independence......Page 234
Implementation and enforcement of the Commission’s decisions......Page 235
Conclusion......Page 240
Introduction......Page 241
Freedom of conscience and religion......Page 243
The right to information and freedom of expression......Page 247
Freedoms of association and assembly......Page 253
Freedom of association......Page 254
Freedom of assembly......Page 257
Freedom of movement......Page 258
Right to participate in the government of one’s country......Page 262
Right to property......Page 266
Conclusion......Page 269
Introduction......Page 272
Peoples as rights-holders under the Charter......Page 273
The African Commission’s understanding of ‘peoples’......Page 275
The Commission’s approach to indigenous peoples......Page 276
Article 19 – right to equality......Page 278
Colonialism and beyond......Page 279
Jurisprudence......Page 280
Indigenous peoples’ way of life......Page 282
Intent......Page 283
Positive measures......Page 284
Article 20 – right to existence......Page 285
Self-determination......Page 286
The right to free themselves......Page 289
Violation of Article 21 – right to free disposition of natural resources......Page 290
Right to natural resources......Page 291
Natural resources and indigenous peoples......Page 292
Property and natural resources......Page 293
Intellectual property and natural resources......Page 295
Limitations on the right......Page 296
Article 22 – the Right to Development......Page 298
Development as choice and increasing capabilities......Page 301
Violation of choice and capabilities......Page 302
Effective participation and meaningful consultation......Page 304
Conclusion......Page 306
Article 23 – right to peace and security......Page 307
National......Page 308
International......Page 309
Environment......Page 311
Scope for further development......Page 314
Conclusion......Page 315
Introduction......Page 317
Observer status at the African Commission......Page 319
Public awareness events on the work of the African Commission......Page 322
Ordinary sessions......Page 324
Extraordinary sessions of the African Commission......Page 325
The consideration of State reports......Page 326
Fact-finding missions......Page 328
Special mechanisms of the African Commission......Page 329
The office of the Special Rapporteur......Page 330
Working groups......Page 332
The role of non-governmental organisations in setting norms and standards......Page 334
Lodging complaints before the African Commission (communications)......Page 336
Institutional support......Page 338
Affiliate status......Page 339
Conclusion......Page 342
Introduction......Page 344
Defining the role of the Secretariat of the African Commission......Page 346
Provision of technical support for the monitoring and advisory functions of the African Commission......Page 348
Missions......Page 350
State reporting......Page 354
Communications......Page 357
Dissemination of the African Commission’s work and promotion of the African Charter......Page 360
Ensuring networking with other human rights organisations, and facilitating networking activities among them......Page 362
Procurement of the necessary resources for the fulfilment of the African Commission’s mandate......Page 367
Conclusion......Page 370
Introduction......Page 372
The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions......Page 374
The Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention......Page 381
The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa......Page 388
Special Rapporteur on refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons......Page 392
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa......Page 397
Special rapporteur on freedom of expression in Africa......Page 399
All Special Rapporteurs have been commissioners......Page 400
Reliance on NGOs......Page 401
Funding......Page 403
Standard setting......Page 404
Conclusion......Page 405
Introduction......Page 407
Working groups under the African Charter......Page 409
The Working Group on Communications......Page 416
The Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa......Page 418
Follow-up committee on the Robben Island Guidelines......Page 422
Working Group on the Death Penalty......Page 424
Working Group on Specific Issues Relevant to the Work of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 428
Conclusion......Page 431
Introduction......Page 434
Decision on merger of the African Court and the Court of Justice......Page 436
Critique of decision to merge......Page 442
Drafting of a new protocol......Page 445
Protocol on the statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights......Page 446
Ratification......Page 449
Reservations......Page 451
Gender parity......Page 452
Regional representation......Page 453
Competence of the Court......Page 454
Jurisdiction personae......Page 457
Independence of the Court......Page 460
Nomination and election of judges......Page 462
Decisions of the Court......Page 464
Conclusion......Page 465
Locating women’s rights within the continental human rights framework......Page 469
History of drafting the Protocol to the African Charter on Women’s Rights......Page 473
Initial draft of the Special Rapporteur’s working group......Page 474
The meeting of government experts......Page 475
Defining discrimination......Page 481
Defining violence against women......Page 483
Reproductive rights......Page 486
Female genital cutting and other harmful practices......Page 488
Economic, social and cultural rights......Page 489
Inconsistency in standard setting......Page 491
‘Culture’......Page 492
Reservations......Page 493
Implementation, commitment and resource allocation......Page 496
Monitoring......Page 497
Conclusion......Page 501
Bibliography......Page 503
Index......Page 519