respect of the rights of the Complainants is indeed a matter relevant at the
Merits stage and irrelevant at the Admissibility stage.
92. The African Commission in several Communications held that the condition
of exhaustion of local remedies “should not constitute an unjustifiable
impediment to access international remedies. Therefore, Article 56(5) should
be applied concomitantly with Article 7, which establishes and protect the
right to fair trial”9. To this extent the African Commission, in determining
whether local remedies have been exhausted takes into consideration the
circumstances of each case, including the general context in which the formal
remedies operate and the personal circumstances of the applicant.”10
93. In Communication No 250/2002 Zegveld v Eritrea11, the African Commission
confirmed that a domestic remedy is considered effective if it offers a
prospect of success, and sufficient or adequate if it is capable of redressing
the complaint.12 In Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara v The Gambia, the African
Commission decided that the existence of a remedy must be sufficiently
certain, not only in theory but also in practice, failing which, it will lack the
requisite accessibility and effectiveness. In the instant case and consistent
with the jurisprudence of the Commission, there are no remedies remaining
for the Complainants to pursue as they have no judicial right to appeal the
decision of the State Security Emergency Court. What remains was for the
President of the Republic to ratify the judgement to give force to it.
94. Therefore, if the victim cannot turn to the judiciary of his country because of
lack of an effective legal remedy to address his fear and concerns, local
remedies would be considered to be unavailable to him.
9
Communication No 48/90 Amnesty International v. Sudan at 31.
Communication No 299/05 Anuak Justice Council v. Ethiopia at 49.
11
Communication. No. 250/2002 (2003) at 37.
12
See, also, Jawara v The Gambia, Comm. No. 147/95, 149/96 (2000) at 32.
10
22