Author Description

Contrary to popular belief, there is a vast body of law dealing with human rights in Africa in existence today. The first priority at the moment is consequently not the adoption of new norms, or the creation of even more structures, the most immediate challenge lies in making the existing structures work and ensuring compliance with the norms already accepted by African societies. Access to the relevant material constitutes a necessary precondition for any other gains in this field. The aim of this reference work is, therefore, to make African human rights law accessible to all those involved in or interested in human rights law on the continent, in order to strengthen its impact. Primary documents are introduced and reproduced and presented in a coherent framework. The main institutions - public and private - dealing with human rights in Africa are identified and discussed. Comprehensive overviews of the international human rights legal regimes applicable to Africa, as well as country reports are provided. Access to this body of law will enable judges, practicing lawyers, academics and other researchers, as well as law reformers, NGOs, activists and students, to both ascertain and assert these rights. It will also serve to ensure the development of a stronger indigenous African human rights jurisprudence, rooted in local experience, history, culture and practices. This book consequently tries to contribute towards documenting, systemising and anchoring the African human rights system. This publication replaces and updates the earlier Human Rights Law in Africa Series, which appeared on an annual basis from 1996 to 1999. In order to make the publication accessible in Africa, the Centre for Human Rights and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden have undertaken a targeted distribution campaign on the continent. The print edition is available as a set of two volumes (9789004138810).