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African Court on Human and People’s Right has called for the strengthening of the culture of human rights justice in Africa.

“As an African Court, we should stand out as a model for internal reforms and an efficiency icon for the rest of the institutions and citizens of the continent,” Justice Sylvain Ore, the African Court President stated in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency.

The African Court President has therefore declared 2019 as a year of personal excellence and contribute to the success of the human rights justice administration in Africa.

Justice Ore encouraged Human Rights Advocates, Lawyers, Judges, Media and other stakeholders to adhere to professionalism, perseverance and team spirit to propel the administration of human rights justice to Africans across the continent.

He also commended the staff of the African Court, whose contribution led to tremendous achievements in 2018, stressing “what we achieved as a team is a faithful reflection of this commitment and I take this opportunity to congratulate you wholeheartedly.

“The entire African human rights community, our major achievement in 2018 was judicial productivity, which almost doubled over the past two years. Our main mission is to render justice to Africans and African victims of violation of their rights. We can be proud to have rendered justice to a greater extent in 2018”.

Justice Ore said this year, the African Court would continue with the sensitisation mission, which formed part of the on-going efforts to interact with different stakeholders in order to deepen their understanding of the Continental Court’s mission and importance.

He said the mission to different countries to encourage African Union (AU) Member States’ to ratify the Protocol establishing the African Court and deposit the declaration under Article 34(6) which allowed direct access to the Court by Non-governmental Organisations and individuals.
The African Court President said for the African Court to achieve its objectives and strengthen the African human rights system, a greater number of countries must ratify the Protocol and make the declaration under Article 34(6).

He explained that the success of the African Court as a human rights protection mechanism required much wider ratification of the Protocol by Member States, as well as their acceptance of the competence of the Court by making the declaration under Article 34(6).
“This universal ratification will give the African Court the legitimacy it needs to effectively discharge its mandate,” he said.

He said since December 2010, the African Court had carried out continent-wide promotion programmes, by undertaking sensitisation visits and held regional seminars and conferences.

Justice Ore said the main objective of the sensitisation visits was to enhance the protection of human rights in Africa; raising public awareness about the African Court; encouraging the ratification of the Protocol and deposit of the Declaration that allowed individuals and NGOs direct access to the African Court.

He said it’s a platform also used to educate would-be applicants on how to access the African Court and the procedures before the African Court; encourages the public to utilise the African Court in settling human rights disputes.

The African Continental Court was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court, to complement the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights with a view to enhancing the protection of human rights on the continent.