III.
Procedure
13. The Request was received at the Registry of the Court on 14 March 2013.
14. By a letter dated 10 June 2013, the Registrar enquired from the African Commission whether the
subject matter of the Request relates to a matter pending before the African Commission.
15.Bya letter dated 25 June 2013, the African Commission confirmed that
the subject matter of the Request does not relate to any matter pending
before it.
16. By separate letters, all dated 3 July 2013, the Registry transmitted
copies of the Request to the African Commission as well as to Member
States
of the AU,
through
the
Chairperson
of the African
Union
Commission (AUC); and at its 30 th Ordinary Session held from 16 to 27
September 2013, the Court decided to invite the Member States to
submit written observations on the Request within 90 days.
17. On 12 August 2013, the Registry received from the Centre for Human Rights,
University of Pretoria (hereinafter referred to as "the Centre"), a request for leave to
submit an amicus curiae brief on the Request. The Court granted leave to the Centre
to act as amicus curiae.
18. On 24 September 2014, the Registry notified Member States and
interested parties of the expiry of the time limit prescribed for them
to submit their observations, and by letter of the same date, the
Registry requested the African Union Commission to transmit to it an
official list of organizations that have observer status with the AU.
19. On 13 January, 2015, the AUC informed the Court that its records indicate that
SERAP is not accredited to the African Union nor has it signed any Memorandum of
Understanding with the AUC/Union.
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