Two decades after its founding, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights stands as a testament to the continent's aspirations for justice — and to the gap between institutional promise and political will. Amnesty International's anniversary report reveals that only 34 of 55 African Union member states have ratified the court's founding protocol, and a mere seven permit their own citizens to bring cases directly before it. The court has delivered landmark rulings on press freedom, indigenous land, and environmental harm, yet its judgments too often go unimplemented, and its docket remains
Amnesty calls for stronger AU support for African Court on human rights
Individuals and civil society lack adequate judicial recourse for human rights violations in their countries due to limited Court access.