Renders this Judgment, I. THE PARTIES 1. The Legal & Human Rights Centre and the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, (hereinafter referred to as “Applicants”) are NonGovernmental Organisations registered and operating in the United Republic of Tanzania having observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereinafter referred to as “Commission”). They challenge Section 148(5) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1985 (hereinafter referred to as “the CPA”) as being incompatible with international human rights standards. 2. The Application is filed against the United Republic of Tanzania (hereinafter referred to as “the Respondent State”), which became a Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Charter”) on 21 October 1986 and to the Protocol on 10 February 2006. Furthermore, the Respondent State, on 29 March 2010, deposited the Declaration prescribed under Article 34(6) of the Protocol (hereinafter referred to as “the Declaration”), through which it accepted the jurisdiction of the Court to receive applications from individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations. On 21 November 2019, the Respondent State deposited with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, an instrument withdrawing its Declaration. The Court has held that this withdrawal has no bearing on pending and new cases filed before 22 November 2020, which is the day on which the withdrawal took effect, being a period of one (1) year after its deposit.1 1 Andrew Ambrose Cheusi v. United Republic of Tanzania (26 June 2020) (merits and reparations) 4 AfCLR 219, §§ 37-39. 2