In this week's post, Amit, Anusreeta and Prerna explore how the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is strengthening environmental rights through an emerging ecological justice framework. The trio argues that the Commission's environmental jurisprudence, particularly the landmark SERAC decision, moves beyond a purely human-centred approach by recognising the close relationship between environmental protection, human rights and sustainable development, while highlighting the urgent need for stronger implementation across Africa.

In this week’s post, Bhavya Johari discusses the legal and institutional implications of the 2026 Banjul Joint Declaration on Sudan, arguing that its proposal for an African-led accountability mechanism operating in “complementarity” with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based on a misunderstanding of the Rome Statute’s complementarity regime. The post situates the Declaration within two significant developments: the ICC's landmark conviction and sentencing of Ali Kushayb in the Sudan situation, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Court’s Security Council referral mechanism, and the growing political backlash against the ICC reflected in the Alliance of Sahel States' planned withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

In this week’s post, Melanie Jean Murcott and Brewsters Caiphas Soyapi set out five lessons from the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change that are of relevance to African states in determining their obligations in respect of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).They argue that on the whole the Paris Agreement should be understood as an instrument requiring States to exercise disciplined discretion in response to the realities of an increasingly warming planet.

In observance of World Environmental Day, African Law Matters invites you to contribute to a special blog series.

In this post, Bhavya Johari explores how the African Court of Human and People’s Rights climate advisory opinion presents a special jurisprudential opportunity to articulate climate obligations not through mitigation burdens, but through the protection of collective rights and the decolonisation of resource governance.

In this week’s post, Dr. Patrick Toussaint, argues why Africa needs a Pan-African research agenda that tackles climate reparations and reparations for slavery, colonialism and racial exploitation in tandem. He explains why Africa’s vulnerability to climate change is not accidental but reflects deeper structural conditions shaped by centuries of colonial extraction and unequal development.

In this week’s post, African Law Matters sat down with Dr. Ashukem to discuss his recent publication, Handbook on Human Rights to a Healthy Environment: International, Regional, and Comparative Pathways for Policy Intervention in Cameroon. This important new contribution to the growing body of scholarship examines the intersection of human rights and environmental protection in Africa. While focused on Cameroon, it offers insights relevant across Africa.

In this week’s post, African Law Matters features an interview with Professor David Vital on his book, Trust Courts and Social Rights: A Trust-Based Framework for Social Rights Enforcement. The book proposes a compelling framework for the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights grounded in the concept of political trust. Given its potential value for the enforcement of socio-economic rights on the African continent and its rich engagement with South Africa’s socio-economic rights jurisprudence, this conversation is particularly timely and valuable.

In this week’s post, Caiphas Brewsters Soyapi argues that in its upcoming advisory opinion on climate change, the African Court of Justice should deploy the African principle of ‘Ubuntu’ to create a distinctly African approach to climate justice rooted in notions of equity and solidarity.

In this post, Dr. Omotunde Enigbokan explains the importance of creating a detailed legal commentary on the Kampala Convention to help African states and institutions better understand, interpret, and implement its provisions for protecting and assisting internally displaced persons, as well as improving accountability, monitoring, and practical application across the continent.

In this post, Johannes Socher and Prof. Charles M. Fombad, co-editors of the book Constitutionalisation of Political Parties and the State of Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa, share the key findings and recommendations from the publication, offering insights on how to strengthen constitutional and legal frameworks governing political parties in the region.

In this week’s post, Dr. Tracey Kanhanga examines how future generations of African descent are likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change, drawing on the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on climate obligations. She emphasises that the UN General Assembly’s second question to the ICJ—concerning future generations—is particularly relevant to Africa, where most of the world’s population will reside, yet where communities risk remaining trapped in a vicious cycle of vulnerability.

In this week’s blog, Dr. Enam K. Antonio examines how the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on climate obligations reshapes Africa’s approach to its 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). She explains that the Court interprets “highest possible ambition” as a binding legal standard, not just a political goal, requiring states to align ambition with their real capacities.

In commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons, Dr. Lydia Chibwe reflects on the landmark entry into force of the Older Persons Protocol, the first legally binding regional instrument protecting the rights of older Africans. While its adoption marks historic progress, she underscores that the real challenge lies in implementation—through domestication, funding, monitoring, and tackling ageism. She further stresses that governments, civil society, and regional bodies must work together to ensure the Protocol moves beyond ratification and meaningfully transforms the lives of millions.

In this post, Amanda Quest examines the failure to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa. In doing so, she highlights the gap between legal and policy frameworks and lived experiences due to patriarchal values in several African countries, which persist despite FGM being outlawed. She argues that community-level interventions coupled with economic empowerment for women and girls are essential to overcome FGM in Africa.