African Court’s 43rd ordinary session begins

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) 43rd Ordinary Session begins from October 31 to November 18, 2016 at Arusha, Tanzania.

The eleven member judges will examine about 70 applications and four requests for advisory opinion, Justice Sylvain Oré, AfCHPR President, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

He said judges will also hold the Seventh Extra-Ordinary Session from November 28 to December 2.

The court meets four times a year on Ordinary Sessions.

Justice Sylvain Oré said with the rapid growth of International Human Rights in recent years there has been a growing international trend of setting up regional and sub-regional human rights mechanisms such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter -American Court of Human Rights.

“On the African continent, this trend has resulted into the creation of human rights bodies not only at the sub-regional levels but also at the continental level,” he said.

The African Court President said the creation of the Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Court) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights was part of the international trend.

The AfCHPR is made up of eleven judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity.

The President and Vice President are elected for a term of two years and are eligible to be re-elected for another final term of two years.

The AfCHPR has adopted a progressive communication module which seeks to publicise its mandate to protect human rights on the Continent.

It forms part of the African Court’s Communication Strategy to ensure that Information and Communication policy forms part of its comprehensive strategy and must be placed at the heart of its work and not as an add-on to its activities.

The Court is also building on its media network for improved coverage and public awareness of its activities; and established a specific pool of journalists tagged as “Champions of AfCHPR’’.

Source: GNA