39. The Court observes that the Respondent State raises objections to the
admissibility of the Application on the ground of non-exhaustion of local
remedies and on the basis that the Application was not filed within a
reasonable time. The Court will consider these objections before examining
other conditions of admissibility, if necessary.
A. Objection based on non-exhaustion of local remedies
40. The Respondent State contends that the Application does not meet the
requirement of exhaustion of local remedies given that the Applicant failed
to institute a constitutional petition in terms of Article 30(3) of its Constitution
to address his grievance on the alleged violation of his rights during the
hearing of his appeal in the Court of Appeal.
41. On his part, the Applicant submits that his Application is admissible as he
has exhausted all legal remedies available to him. He also submits that
exhaustion is typically satisfied by appealing the case to the highest
national tribunal and in his case as the Court of Appeal is the final appeal
court in the Respondent State, there is no higher court to hear this matter
in the local jurisdiction. It is the Applicant’s contention that the Respondent
State’s claim that he could have instituted a constitutional petition at the
High Court under the Basic Rights and Duties Enforcement Act is manifestly
incorrect as this Court has repeatedly held that applicants are only required
to exhaust ordinary judicial remedies and that filing a constitutional petition
is an extraordinary remedy which he was not required to exhaust prior to
filing his Application.
42. In his reply, the Applicant reiterates these arguments and further submits
that the Respondent State’s argument that the alleged violation of the right
to be heard could have been raised during the appeal proceedings is
irrelevant because he was actually denied effective representation.
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