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The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Court) 44th Ordinary Session is set for March 6 to 24 at its seat in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania. African Court Judges, among others, will examine about 80 applications and four requests for Advisory Opinion.
A working document obtained by Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday said the session will swear-in two new Judges who were elected in January during the 28th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Judges are: Justice Bensaoula Chafika from Algeria and Justice Chizumila Rose Tujilane from Malawi. The two are replacing Justice Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria) and Justice Duncan Tambala (Malawi) whose term came to an end on September 5, 2016.
The two joins their colleagues: Lady-Justice Ntyam Ondo Mengue from Cameroon; and Lady-Justice Marie Thérése Mukamulisa from Rwanda who were elected to the Court during the 27th AU Summit in October, Kigali, Rwanda. The fifth female Judge already at the Court is Lady Justice Solomy Balungi Bossa who was elected in June 2014.
For the first time in the history of the Court, there will be five female judges sitting on the 11-member court.The increased number of female Judges is the fulfilment of the requirement for adequate gender representation provided for in Article 12(2) and Article 14(3) of the Protocol establishing the Court.
The Court’s Judges are elected for a term of six-years and renewable once.
The swearing-in of the two new Judges will be held at the Kibo Hall at the African Court premises at the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) building, Burka area, along Dodoma Road, on 6 March 2017 from 10 am and members of the public are welcomed.
During the session there will be two public hearings in the Application 003/2014 of Victoire Umuhoza Ingabire v Republic of Rwanda on 16 March and Application 012/2015 of Anudo Ochieng Anudo v United Republic of Tanzania on 17 March.
The swearing-in ceremony and the public hearings will be live streamed via the link http://original.livestream.com/afchpr/
The African Court is composed of eleven Judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity. The African Court meets four times a year in Ordinary Sessions and may hold Extra-Ordinary Sessions.
The African Court has received 124 applications as at March 1, 2017. It has finalized 32 cases and 92 are pending.
