Access

Access to the Court

The following entities can take cases before the Court:

• The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
• States Parties that were complainants or respondents to a complaint before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
• State Parties that have an interest in a case;
• African inter-governmental organisations; and
• Non-governmental organisations with observer status at the African Commission and ordinary individuals – but only when the State Party against which the complaint is lodged has made a declaration allowing individuals or non-governmental organisations direct access to the Court.

As to date the following six countries had made the declaration allowing for direct access:

Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Malawi and Tunisia