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Mkandawire v Republic of Malawi (Application No. 003/2011) [2012] AfCHPR 6 (30 March 2012)
- Citation
- [2012] AfCHPR 6
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Uganda
- Court
- African Court on Human and Peoples Rights
- Posture
- Application / Preliminary Objection
- Case number
- Application No. 003/2011
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- African Court on Human and Peoples Rights
- Posture
- Application / Preliminary Objection
- Case number
- Application No. 003/2011
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
01
Holding and result
The Court found that the Respondent's response setting out preliminary objections did not comply with Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court, as it failed to provide the necessary details required by the Rule. The Court ordered the Respondent to submit a compliant response within 30 days and allowed the Applicant to reply within 30 days of receipt of the Respondent's compliant response. The decision ensures procedural fairness and adherence to the Court's rules, safeguarding the right to a fair hearing and proper adjudication of preliminary objections.
Court disposition
interlocutory_order
Orders
- The Respondent is called upon to comply with Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court within 30 days of receipt of this order.
- The Applicant may respond to the Respondent's compliant response within 30 days of receipt thereof from the Registrar.
02
Material facts
Parties
Urban Mkandawire
ApplicantRepublic of Malawi
Respondent03
Procedural history
Posture
Application / Preliminary Objection
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
- 01
Whether the Respondent's preliminary objections comply with Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court.
- 02
Whether the Respondent must provide further details to satisfy procedural requirements.
Party arguments
- Applicant
- The applicant submitted an application challenging the actions of the Respondent and awaits a proper response to the preliminary objections as required by the Rules of Court.
- Respondent
- The Respondent submitted a response raising preliminary objections but did not provide the details required under Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court.
05
Court’s reasoning
Legal principles
- 01
Rule 52(4), Rules of Court, African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
A party raising preliminary objections must comply with the procedural requirements set out in Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court.
06
Ratio, limits and disposition
Ratio decidendi
The Court found that the Respondent's response setting out preliminary objections did not comply with Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court, as it failed to provide the necessary details required by the Rule. The Court ordered the Respondent to submit a compliant response within 30 days and allowed the Applicant to reply within 30 days of receipt of the Respondent's compliant response. The decision ensures procedural fairness and adherence to the Court's rules, safeguarding the right to a fair hearing and proper adjudication of preliminary objections.
Court disposition
interlocutory_order
- The Respondent is called upon to comply with Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court within 30 days of receipt of this order.
- The Applicant may respond to the Respondent's compliant response within 30 days of receipt thereof from the Registrar.
Source and reliance status
African Court on Human and Peoples Rights
This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.
Judgment reading view
Judgment text
The complete available source text.
African Court on Human and Peoples Rights
Judgment
AFRICAN UNION الاتحاد الأقريئي

UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS
COUR AFRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET DES PEUPLES
IN THE MATTER OF
URBAN MKANDAWIRE
V.
THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
APPLICATION No. 003/2011
ORDER
The Court composed of: Gérard NIYUNGEKO, President; Sophia A. B. AKUFFO, Vice-President; Bernard M. NGOEPE, Modibo T. GUINDO, Fatsah OUGUERGOUZ, Augustino S. L. RAMADHANI. Elsie $\mathsf{N}_\cdot$ THOMPSON and Sylvain ORE- Judges; and Robert ENO- Registrar,
In the matter of
URBAN MKANDAWIRE
V.
REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
Hereby decides as follows:
Having considered the Respondent's response dated 9 January 2012, in response to the application submitted by the Applicant, Mr. Urban Mkandawire dated 13 March, 2012, as well as the skeleton arguments of the Respondent, the Court rules that:
(a) The Respondent's response setting out its preliminary objections in terms of Rule 52(4) of the Rules of Court does not comply with the said Rule in that it does not set out the details required by the Rule;
(b) The Respondent is accordingly called upon to comply with Rule 52(4) within 30 days of the receipt hereof; and
$\mathbb{R}$ $\mathbb{R}$
(c) The Applicant, if so minded, should respond to the Respondent's response referred to in (b) above within 30 days of receipt thereof from the Registrar.
Done at Arusha, this thirty day of March, in the year Two Thousand and Twelve, in English and French, the English text being authoritative.
Signed:
Gérard NIYUNGEKO, President
Robert ENO, Registrar

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