PROCEDURE
Jurisdiction
Personal Jurisdtiion - Complaints submitted by NGOs
The Court has held that it has jurisdiction to hear and determine cases instituted by NGOs
with observer status before the African Commission and individuals by virtue of a joint
reading of articles 5(3) and 34(6) of the Protocol establishing the Court (Tanganyika Law
Society, The Legal and Human Rights Centre v The United Republic of Tanzania, application
009/2011; Reverend Christopher R. Mtikila v The United Republic of Tanzania, application
011/2011, judgment, 14 June 2013, para 86; Actions Pour la Protection des Droit de
L’homme (APDH) v The Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, application 001/2014, Judgement, 18
November 2016, paras 43-46).
NGOs bringing a case to the Court need to have been granted observer status by the African
Commission (Association Juristes d’Afrique pour la Bonne Gouvernance v Côte d’Ivoire,
application 006/2011, decision, 16 June 2011; National Convention of Teachers Trade Union
v The Republic of Gabon, application 012/2011, decision, 15 December 2011).