Group seeks replacement of African Court’s retiring judges
Nigeria’s Justice Anukam completes first term
AFRICAN Human Rights Mechanisms Nomination and Selection Initiative, also known as the Arusha Initiative, has launched a campaign in search of experts to fill vacant positions in the upcoming elections into the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Arusha Initiative is jointly convened by the Coalition for an Effective African Court, Centre for Human Rights, Pretoria University, South Africa and Pan African Lawyers Union.
Others are Network of National Human Rights Institutions, Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, Centre for Rights Education and Awareness as well as Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Organisation.
The group said its goal was to promote human rights by supporting state parties in the nomination and selection of members of human rights mechanisms in Africa.
By doing so, the Initiative said it would be contributing to greater effectiveness, independence and impact of the mechanisms.
Co- chair of the Initiative, Ikechukwu Uzoma in a joint statement with Sophia Ebby, Tanzania, said the campaign will help in facilitating the nomination process by identifying individuals who meet the criteria for serving in the African Court.
Among those about to complete their first term of six years and are eligible for reelection in July include Nigeria’s Justice Stella I. Anukam and Justice Blaise Tchikaya of the Republic of Congo.
“In the course of her first tenure, Justice Anukam distinguished herself through hard work and commitment to service.
“Nigeria does not nurse any fear that she would be reelected”, said a rights activist and lawyer, Chief Festus Oguche.
Given the current geographical composition of the Court, nominations are opened to candidates from East Africa, West Africa and
Central Africa.
The African Human Rights System comprises three mechanisms, including African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Each mechanism consists of 11 members nominated by African States and elected by the Executive Council of the African Union.
“By July, there are three upcoming vacancies at the African Court that need to be filled. Justice Ben Kioko of Kenya would be completing his second term and should be replaced by a male judge from East Africa.
“Also, Justice Blaise Tchikaya of the Republic of Congo and Justice Stella I. Anukam of Nigeria are ending their first terms and are eligible for reelection to another six- year term.
“State Parties to the Court Protocol may however nominate other candidates for these two positions - a male from the Central African region and a female from the West African region.”
Arusha Initiative held that candidates for the vacant positions must be individuals of high moral character with recognised expertise in human and people’s rights.
“Such candidates must have practical, judicial or academic competence in human rights and be independent of political, diplomatic or administrative functions in their countries.
“The AU Office of the Legal Counsel will soon call for nominations from State Parties in the three regions. In anticipation of the nomination process, this campaign intends to identify qualified experts and share a database of those experts with states for their consideration during the nomination process,” the group said.