Nations, the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the provisions of the Charter or
of any legal instrument of the African Union.
61.As a consequence
of the foregoing, the Court finds that the Application fulfils all
the admissibility requirements set out under Article 56 of the Charter as restated
in Rule 40 of the Rules, and accordingly declares it admissible.
Vil.
MERITS
62. The Applicant alleges violation of Articles 1, 2, 3(2) and 7(1)(a) of the Charter.
A. Alleged violation of the right to non-discrimination
63. The Applicant avers that article 13(6)(a) of the Respondent
State’s Constitution
provides that:
When the rights and duties of any person are being determined by the court or any
other agency,
appeal
that person
shall be entitled to a fair hearing
or other legal remedy
against the decision
and to the right of
of the court or of the other
agency concerned.
64. The Applicant argues that notwithstanding article 13(6)(a), article 41(7) of the same
Constitution
bars
any court from
inquiring
candidate after the Electoral Commission
into the election
of any presidential
has pronounced a winner which in turn
entails that any person aggrieved by the results of a presidential election cannot
access a judicial remedy. The Applicant submits that by having a provision such
as article 41(7) in its Constitution, the Respondent State has violated Article 2 of
the Charter.
65. The Respondent
State contends that the right to non-discrimination as provided
for under Article 2 of the Charter “is not absolute where there is a legitimate justified
purpose or aim that is justifiable.” Referring to the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-
17