Abstract:
The year 2014 saw the adoption by the AU Assembly of a protocol
providing the African Court with jurisdiction over international crimes, and
a revised protocol on the Pan-African Parliament providing it with power
to adopt ‘model legislation’. With regard to implementation, the Ebola
epidemic in West Africa affected the effective functioning of, in particular,
the African Commission. However, despite this and other challenges, the
African Commission adopted important normative instruments, such as a
resolution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, responded
to violations through urgent appeals and press releases, and engaged
with states through missions and the state reporting procedure. The
Commission also adopted some interesting jurisprudence in the period
under review. The African Children’s Rights Committee consolidated its
position as the main regional body for the protection of children’s rights in
Africa. The African Court received an increasing number of cases and
handed down two judgments on merits and an advisory opinion.
