UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Law
LCP4807
International Human Rights Law
SEMESTER I — 2026
ASSIGNMENT 02
Module: LCP4807 — International Human Rights Law
Title: Legal Opinion on Exhaustion of Domestic
Remedies & Advisory Opinion: African Com-
mission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Due Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (Cut-off: 16H00)
Institution: University of South Africa (UNISA)
Prepared in partial fulfilment of the requirements for LCP4807
International Human Rights Law — College of Law, UNISA
Semester I • 2026
,UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Commission
Contents
Table of Contents 2
1 Question 1: Legal Opinion — Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies and Access to
the ACERWC 3
1.1 1.1 Introduction: The Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.2 (a) Can DAA Take This Case to the ACERWC? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.1 1.2.1 Jurisdiction and Standing of DAA before the ACERWC . . . . . . . 4
1.2.2 1.2.2 The Domestic Remedies Problem for DAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 (b) Is the Exhaustion Requirement Flexible or Inflexible? . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 1.4 (c) Circumstances Under Which the Applicant May Be Exempted . . . . . . . 6
1.4.1 1.4.1 Remedies Are Not Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.2 1.4.2 Remedies Are Ineffective or Inadequate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.3 1.4.3 Undue Delay or Unreasonable Prolongation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.4 1.4.4 Systematic or Structural Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.5 1.4.5 Practical Inaccessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5 1.5 Conclusion of Legal Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Question 2: Advisory Opinion — COMOROS and the African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights 9
2.1 2.1 Can COMOROS Take This Case to the African Commission on Human and Peo-
ples’ Rights? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 2.2 Procedural Issues: Admissibility Under Article 56 of the African Charter . . . 9
2.2.1 2.2.1 Article 56(1): Identification of the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.2 2.2.2 Article 56(2): Compatible with the African Union Charter and the African
Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.3 2.2.3 Article 56(3): Not Written in Disparaging Language . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.4 2.2.4 Article 56(4): Not Exclusively Based on Media Reports . . . . . . . 10
2.2.5 2.2.5 Article 56(5): Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.6 2.2.6 Article 56(6): Submitted Within a Reasonable Time . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2.7 2.2.7 Article 56(7): Not Previously Settled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 2.3 Rights Violated Under the African Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3.1 2.3.1 Article 16: Right to Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3.2 2.3.2 Article 17: Right to Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Page 1 of 19
, UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Commission
2.3.3 2.3.3 Article 14: Right to Property and Adequate Standard of Living . . . 13
2.3.4 2.3.4 Article 18(3): Rights of Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3.5 2.3.5 Article 2: Non-Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4 2.4 Substantive Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.1 2.4.1 Progressive Realisation vs. Immediate Obligations . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.2 2.4.2 The Budgetary Constraints Defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4.3 2.4.3 The Intersection of Gender and Socioeconomic Deprivation . . . . . 15
2.4.4 2.4.4 African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Limitation of Access 15
2.5 2.5 Possible Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.6 2.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Reference List 18
Page 2 of 19
College of Law
LCP4807
International Human Rights Law
SEMESTER I — 2026
ASSIGNMENT 02
Module: LCP4807 — International Human Rights Law
Title: Legal Opinion on Exhaustion of Domestic
Remedies & Advisory Opinion: African Com-
mission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Due Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (Cut-off: 16H00)
Institution: University of South Africa (UNISA)
Prepared in partial fulfilment of the requirements for LCP4807
International Human Rights Law — College of Law, UNISA
Semester I • 2026
,UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Commission
Contents
Table of Contents 2
1 Question 1: Legal Opinion — Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies and Access to
the ACERWC 3
1.1 1.1 Introduction: The Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.2 (a) Can DAA Take This Case to the ACERWC? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.1 1.2.1 Jurisdiction and Standing of DAA before the ACERWC . . . . . . . 4
1.2.2 1.2.2 The Domestic Remedies Problem for DAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 (b) Is the Exhaustion Requirement Flexible or Inflexible? . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 1.4 (c) Circumstances Under Which the Applicant May Be Exempted . . . . . . . 6
1.4.1 1.4.1 Remedies Are Not Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.2 1.4.2 Remedies Are Ineffective or Inadequate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.3 1.4.3 Undue Delay or Unreasonable Prolongation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.4 1.4.4 Systematic or Structural Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.5 1.4.5 Practical Inaccessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5 1.5 Conclusion of Legal Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Question 2: Advisory Opinion — COMOROS and the African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights 9
2.1 2.1 Can COMOROS Take This Case to the African Commission on Human and Peo-
ples’ Rights? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 2.2 Procedural Issues: Admissibility Under Article 56 of the African Charter . . . 9
2.2.1 2.2.1 Article 56(1): Identification of the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.2 2.2.2 Article 56(2): Compatible with the African Union Charter and the African
Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.3 2.2.3 Article 56(3): Not Written in Disparaging Language . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.4 2.2.4 Article 56(4): Not Exclusively Based on Media Reports . . . . . . . 10
2.2.5 2.2.5 Article 56(5): Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.6 2.2.6 Article 56(6): Submitted Within a Reasonable Time . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2.7 2.2.7 Article 56(7): Not Previously Settled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 2.3 Rights Violated Under the African Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3.1 2.3.1 Article 16: Right to Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3.2 2.3.2 Article 17: Right to Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Page 1 of 19
, UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Commission
2.3.3 2.3.3 Article 14: Right to Property and Adequate Standard of Living . . . 13
2.3.4 2.3.4 Article 18(3): Rights of Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3.5 2.3.5 Article 2: Non-Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4 2.4 Substantive Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.1 2.4.1 Progressive Realisation vs. Immediate Obligations . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4.2 2.4.2 The Budgetary Constraints Defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4.3 2.4.3 The Intersection of Gender and Socioeconomic Deprivation . . . . . 15
2.4.4 2.4.4 African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Limitation of Access 15
2.5 2.5 Possible Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.6 2.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Reference List 18
Page 2 of 19
