African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, 1981
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
Posted By lanbuk.com
- Body
- African Union
- Adopted
- 27 June 1981, Nairobi, Kenya
- In force
- 21 October 1986
- Sierra Leone: signed
- 27 August 1981
- Sierra Leone: ratified
- 21 September 1983
- Sierra Leone: instrument deposited
- 27 January 1984
Source for Sierra Leone's status: African Union, status list of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
About this treaty
Africa's main regional human rights treaty, adopted by the eighteenth Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union). It sets out human and peoples' rights and the duties of individuals, and establishes the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
The ECOWAS Court applies the Charter in cases against Sierra Leone: the Revised Treaty makes the protection of rights under the Charter a fundamental principle of the Community.
Read the official text
How it is arranged
68 articles, as printed in the African Commission's text.
- Part I: Rights and Duties – Chapter I, Human and Peoples' Rights (Articles 1–26); Chapter II, Duties (Articles 27–29)
- Part II: Measures of Safeguard – The African Commission: establishment and organisation (Articles 30–44), mandate (Article 45), procedure (Articles 46–59) and applicable principles (Articles 60–62)
- Part III: General Provisions – Articles 64–68
Applied by the ECOWAS Court in cases against Sierra Leone
- Adamsay Kabia & Anor. v Republic of Sierra Leone · 25 June 2026 · Violation found
Sierra Leone violated the first applicant's right to protection against child marriage (Article 21, African Children's Charter), her right to freedom from gender-based discrimination and violence (African Charter, Maputo Protocol and CEDAW), and her right to an effective remedy.
- AdvocAid Ltd v Republic of Sierra Leone · 7 November 2024 · Violation found
Declared that keeping and enforcing Sierra Leone's loitering laws violates the rights to non-discrimination and equality before the law (Articles 2 and 3(1), African Charter) and freedom of movement (Article 12(1)), and that Sierra Leone violated Article 1 by not amending or repealing them.
- Mohammed El Tayyib Bah v Republic of Sierra Leone · 4 May 2015 · Violation found
Declared the applicant's dismissal from the police illegal, null and void because it was done without a hearing, in violation of the right to a fair hearing (Article 7(1), African Charter).
Cite this page
Lanbuk. (2026, November 7). African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Retrieved November 10, 2026, from https://www.lanbuk.com/laws/regional/african-charter-on-human-and-peoples-rights