Pan-African courts hold joint dialogue in Arusha

ARUSHA: THE African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Court of Justice, and the Community Court of Justice convened their second joint Tripartite Dialogue in September 2024, aimed at enhancing cooperation among Africa’s continental and regional courts.

This event builds on the inaugural dialogue held in Zanzibar in June 2022. Justice Sacko Modibo, Vice-President of the African Court, described the gathering as “historic and momentous,” marking a significant step towards collaboration among regional courts to strengthen the rule of law, improve justice administration, and protect human rights.

The three courts—the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AU), the East African Court of Justice (EAC), and the Community Court of Justice (ECOWAS)— agreed to hold these dialogues every two years. Reflecting on past achievements, Justice Modibo noted that the first dialogue laid a solid foundation for future collaboration.

“We established enhanced cooperation among our courts, sharing best practices and addressing common challenges. The resolutions and recommendations from that dialogue are already positively influencing our judicial processes, including advancements in case management and jurisprudence,” he stated.

This year’s theme, “Enhancing Cooperation Between Continental and Regional Courts in Africa,” underscores the ongoing collaboration fostered by the bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed by the three courts.

These agreements commit the courts to regular consultative forums to discuss shared challenges and promote cooperation, facilitating the continuous exchange of information and expertise.

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President of the East African Court of Justice, Judge Nestor Kayobera, highlighted the EACJ’s strong performance, noting, “We have received no complaints regarding our decisions. These judicial dialogues provide a valuable platform for sharing best practices and experiences in justice delivery, particularly in case management and jurisprudence, while promoting the harmonious application of international human rights standards.”

Director of Operations at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, Johannes Eile emphasised that the dialogue unites judges and legal experts from esteemed institutions, alongside representatives from regional bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

This collaboration fosters an environment for exchanging ideas, discussing challenges, and advancing justice across the continent.

Discussions during the dialogue explored strategies to strengthen cooperation among the three courts, other continental and regional human rights courts, and international tribunals, including UN Treaty Bodies.

The three courts partnered with several organisations for this dialogue, including the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Humanitarian and Human Rights Law (RWI), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).