Judge Ramadhani ends term at Africa’s rights court

Arusha. Judge Augustine Ramadhani steps down as the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) on Sunday, marking the illustrious career which spans nearly 50 years.

The former Chief Justice of Tanzania will formally exit the topmost position at the African judicial organ based in Arusha alongside three other judges, including Vice President Lady-Justice Elsie Thompson from Nigeria, at the end of their term in office in an elaborate ceremony.

The other judges are Justice Fatsah Ouguerigouz from Algeria and Justice Duncan Tambala from Malawi. The Court is composed of eleven judges, nationals of the African Union (AU) member states and are elected in their personal capacity.

An official in charge of communications at the Court, Mr Sukhdev Chhatbar said on Saturday that a new judge to take over from the outgoing Justice Ramadhani may be picked on Sunday depending on the circumstances that will prevail.

The Court will hold its 42nd Ordinary Session from Monday to September 16 at its seat in Arusha. The session will also see two new judges elected during the AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. They are Lady Justice Nyam Ondo-Mengue from Cameroon and Lady Justice Therese Mukamulisa from Rwanda.

Judge Ramadhani had a long career in the Judiciary before he was appointed the Judge of the African Court in 2010 and elevated to the President of the Court in 2014. He was the Chief Justice of Tanzania from 2007 to 2010 when he retired after attaining the compulsory retirement age of 65 years. Prior to  that he was the Justice of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1989.