Cameroon
The following Justice Initiative projects are underway in, or relevant to, Cameroon:
Freedom of Expression
The Justice Initiative is providing legal assistance and representation in a case of arbitrary denial of a broadcasting license to a current affairs radio station, the Cameroonian Radio Freedom FM. The station's equipment was confiscated and the studio sealed in May 2003, just prior to an announced launch date, although no reply had been returned on the station's application for a license, even after the official deadline. Charges have been brought against Pius Njawé, one of the station's founders, for operating without a license. At the same time, a legal action to recover the equipment is still pending before the national courts. In June 2004, the Justice Initiative filed a communication with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights urging that Cameroon be required to release the station's equipment and allow Radio Freedom FM to operate pending a decision. The Justice Initiative is also providing advice in the domestic proceedings. Read on
African Union (AU) Research and Advocacy Project.
In 2005, a series of linked activities will promote the rights to freedom of expression and information in Africa. These include an analysis of African commitments and declarations on media freedom, freedom of expression and information, and the development of recommendations for reform. An audit of media freedom will be undertaken in selected African countries to analyze compliance with existing African and international standards. A coalition of civil society organizations will engage the AU leadership to promote a binding continental instrument on free expression guarantees. The project aims to create an informed and articulate constituency of civil society actors, equipped to work in advocacy directed at national governments and the AU.
Capacity building and networking: the Oxford Media Law Advocates Program.
Ten media lawyers from Africa participated in the Justice Initiative’s 2004 summer school, now in its third year, with an expanded program including African participants for the first time. Summer School Program and Press Announcement
West Africa Media Lawyers Meeting.
The Justice Initiative assisted the Media Foundation for West Africa in designing the first meeting of its sub-regional network of media defenders. Justice Initiative attendance enabled a concrete contribution to the network’s strategic planning.
Legal Capacity Development
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and African regional courts.
Since July 2004, the Justice Initiative and the Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an alliance of NGOs, have engaged in dialogue with the Commission of the African Union on the best ways to integrate Africa’s various regional courts without delaying the establishment of the human rights court. In the course of 2004, the Justice Initiative, together with the Coalition and the AU, developed a set of guidelines for nominating candidates to the human rights court bench. In 2005, the process will aim to expedite the integration of the human rights court and the AU’s Court of Justice, following an AU decision of July 2004. The Justice Initiative provided legal advice to Kenya and Botswana enabling cabinet-level consideration of ratification of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Protocol to take place.