Submission to the 51st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR

On 18 April 2012, the Community Law Centre delivered a submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The submission dealt with three issues, namely compliance with the Robben Island Guidelines, domestic oversight over places of detention and limiting the use of pre-trial detention.

CLC, as a partner to the Article 5 Initiative, submitted that the ten year anniversary of the adoption of the Robben Island Guidelines (RIG) presents a great opportunity for renewed energy and vigour to rid the continent of torture and other ill treatment. CLC proposed that the ACHPR prepares a situational analysis report on progress made towards state compliance with the RIG. CLC further encouraged the ACHPR to promote the RIG, in particular when on in-country missions and when reviewing state reports.
CLC further called upon the ACHPR to encourage states to use existing oversight mechanisms to promote transparency and accountability in prison systems as well as in respect of other places of detention.
Through its project ‘Promoting Pre-trial Justice in Africa’, CLC engages in a number of activities to reduce the use of pre-trial detention. CLC therefore called upon the Commission to urge states to engage in law reform and remove laws that are out-dated and serve little other purpose than criminalising poverty and are open to abuse.
CLC assured the ACHPR of its commitment to address the problems associated with detention and torture and offered to assist the ACHPR in its endeavours wherever possible.
To download the full submission, please click here.