In East Africa, like in other regions, the crackdown on dissent, detention of journalists and human rights defenders, violent dispersal of protests, media censorship and other repressive acts inhibit the rights to freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. However, a crucial forum is available for individuals to hold their governments accountable and fight such systematic oppression in the sub region.

The East African Court of Justice offers a sub-regional mechanism specific to East Africa that provides quick, direct access to bring cases that present potential violations of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. The Treaty notably includes a requirement that member States must adhere to “universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.”

As part of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’ work to support strategic civic space litigation before international and regional mechanisms, we collaborated with the Pan African Lawyers Union to publish the Practitioner’s Guide for the East African Court of Justice. The guide is created for local and international litigants as well as journalists, academics, and anyone with interest in the Court and human rights in the region.

The guide unpacks the Court in a common-sense way, offering practical guidance from experienced litigators. Download the new guide.

Ce guide explique la procédure a la Cour et il offre des conseils pratiques de plaideurs expérimentés. Déchargez le nouveau guide ici.