This weeks marks the 14 anniversary of the inauguration of the SADC Tribunal. The actions of the SADC Summit to suspend the Tribunal was a retrogressive step in the promotion and protection of the right of access to justice. As a result the SADC region no longer has a Court to raise grievances with, and this reinforces the lack of accountability and impunity for African leaders. The fact that a regional court can be suspended due to political interference, by challenging treaties that have already been ratified and implemented, creates an undesirable precedent for States reneging on their human rights commitments. Furthermore, the fact that both the West African region and East African region have functioning adjudication bodies for members to bring human rights concerns to, is reason enough for the SADC summit to see the importance of providing a platform for citizens in the SADC region to have an impartial body to access justice after exhaustion of local remedies.
Read Policy Brief Here: The Demise of a Legitimate Southern African Regional Court
