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9(4). And Article 1 0(d) of the 1991 Protocol as amended by the Supplementary
Protocol of 2005, granted access to individuals, subject to certain conditions.
Another provision in the 1991 Protocol, as amended, which grants access to the
court to individuals is Article 10(c). It granted direct access to the court to
individuals and C011)0rate bodies against tl1e Community in certain specific matters.
All these provisions do not require, directly or even indirectly, the exhaustion of
local remedies before an action could be brought before this court. So what is the
basis of tl1is submission tl1at a plaintiff should exhaust local remedies before
recourse to this court?
39. The rule on exhaustion of local remedies is derived from customary
international law which requires the exhaustion of local remedies before a claim
may be brought before an international tribunal. However, it is not an inflexible
rule. For instance, the International Court of Justice held in the case titled
Electronica Sicula Sp.4, (ELSI Case), (Second Phase), ICJ Rep. 1989, that
exhaustion of local remedies may be waived by express provision in a treaty. Thus
by Article XI(l) of the Convention on International Liability for Damage caused
by Space Objects, 1972, the requirement of the exhaustion of local remedies was
dispensed with.
40. Under Article 10 of the Supplementary Protocol of 2005, any provision of a
prior Protocol which is inconsistent with the provisions of the 2005 Supplementary
'
.
Protocol is to the extent of the inconsistency null and void. Thus, Article 39 of the
Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which is clearly in- conflict with the
provisions of Article 4 (d) of the Supplementary Protocol of 2005 with respect to
the exhaustion of local remedies as a condition precedent to the institution of an
action in human rights is null and void to that extent. The 1991 Protocol, as
amended by the Supplementary Protocol, forms an integral part of the Treaty and
thus the exclusion of exhaustion of local remedies w1der the Protocol is perfectly
valid in international law.
41. That being the position of the law, this Court has decided in a plethora of cases
including Prof Etim Moses Essien v. Republic of The Gambia & Anor (Suit No.
ECW/CCJ/APP/05/05, judgment delivered on 29th October, 2007), Musa
Saidykhan v. Republic of The Gambia (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/11/07, judgment
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