Fatsah Ouguergouz Last updated October 17, 2025 Legal and judicial career In 2006 Ouguergouz was in the first group of judges elected by the Assembly of Heads of States of the African Union to the African Court on Human and Peoples’Rights, [ 15] based in Arusha ,Tanzania . He was a Judge from 2006 to 2016,and served as Vice-President of the Court 2012-2013. Elected initially in 2006 for a four-year term,he was re-elected in 2010 for a six-year mandate. [ 1]
While serving on the Court,Ouguergouz authored 23 separate or dissenting opinions [ 3] which helped shape the Court’s jurisprudence on admissibility,jurisdiction and interpretation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights . [ 16] Notable opinions include:
Michelot Yogogombaye v. Republic of Senegal (Application No. 001/2008,15 December 2009): [ 17] This was the Court’s first judgment. Ouguergouz wrote a separate opinion emphasizing jurisdictional issues,particularly the requirement of a state’s consent to the Court’s jurisdiction. He elaborated on the principle of forum prorogatum and the Court’s handling of applications despite states not having made prior declarations accepting its jurisdiction. His analysis clarified the consent and sovereignty principles underpinning the Court’s competence to hear cases from individuals and non-governmental organizations . [ 16] [ 18] Femi Falana v. African Union (Application No. 001/2011,26 June 2012): [ 19] In this case,Ouguergouz authored a separate concurring opinion clarifying procedural issues concerning the Court’s discretion to reject applications outright for lack of jurisdiction. His analysis helped clarify the Court’s jurisdictional threshold for admissibility and case handling. [ 16] Other separate or dissenting opinions dealt with legal principles such as the exhaustion of local remedies ,non-retroactivity of criminal law,and interpretation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’Rights. His opinions have been recognized as vital for clarifying and advancing the Court’s jurisprudential framework even when they were not part of the Court’s binding rulings and making signifcant contributions to African international law. [ 16] [ 20]
Selected publications and editorial work The African Union:Legal and Institutional Framework:A Manual on the Pan-African Organization (co-editor with Abdulqawi Yusuf ),(Martinus Nijhoff Publishers ,2012) [ 47] ISBN 9789004221000 The African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights: A Comprehensive Agenda for Human Dignity and Sustainable Democracy in Africa (Nijhoff Publishers, 2003) [ 48] ISBN 9789041120618 La Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples – Une approche juridique des droits de l’homme entre tradition et modernité (Presses Universitaires de France , 1993) [ 49] ISBN 2130453252 “The Protection of Chinese Investments in Africa: a Brief Overview of Investor-State Dispute Settlement Mechanisms”, African Yearbook of International Law , Volume 23, 2017, pp. 194-206 [ 50] He is the author of numerous other publications in English and in French. [ 41] [ 3]
Ouguergouz was Associate Editor of the African Yearbook of International Law [ 51] [ 6] (Editor-in-chief of the French edition) (1992-2018), [ 3] and is now a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the African Yearbook of International Law [ 3] and of the Jinan Journal for Human Rights [ 52] [ 41] (in Arabic) (Tripoli, Lebanon ), and of the International Editorial Advisory Board of the African Human Rights Law Journal [ 53] (Centre for Human Rights , University of Pretoria Faculty of Law ). [ 1] Previously, he had been a member of the Advisory Board of Oxford University Press's Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts (ILDC). [ 54] [ 41]
Memberships of boards and institutions Ouguergouz has been a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (Geneva) since 2015. [ 15] He was elected a Titular Member (Membre titulaire ) of the Institute of International Law (Institut de Droit International ) at its 2025 Session in Rabat , Morocco , [ 55] having previously been an Associate (Associé ) from 2021. [ 41]
He is a member of the Board of Trustees [ 56] of the Fondation Abi-Saab pour le droit international et la justice sociale [ 57] (Geneva), Honorary Committee of the Fondation Kéba Mbaye [ 58] [ 4] (Dakar , Senegal ), a Patron of the African Association of International Law [ 59] [ 5] (Banjul , The Gambia ), a member of the Société française pour le droit international SFDI [ 60] [ 3] (Paris), of the Advisory Board of the Strathmore Institute for Advanced Studies in International Criminal Justice [ 61] [ 1] (Nairobi , Kenya ), founding member and member of the Curatorium of the African Institute of International Law [ 41] (Arusha), and founding member, Board member and former Executive Director of the African Foundation for International Law (AFIL) [ 62] [ 41] [ 5] (The Hague). He has been a member of the Governing Board of the International Institute of Human Rights [ 26] [ 4] (Strasbourg) and of the International Advisory Committee of the Brandeis Institute for International Judges [ de ] [ 3] at Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts , United States). From 2014 to 2016, he was Senior Policy Advisor of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue. [ 63]
Honors In 2024 [ 64] Ouguergouz was named to the "Hall of Fame" of the Geneva Graduate Institute’s most illustrious former students. [ 65]
References 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Justice Fatsah Ouguergouz – Algeria" . African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights . April 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 "Fatsah Ouguergouz" . Geneva Graduate Institute . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz CV English" (PDF) . Geneva Graduate Institute . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Justice Fatsah Ouguergouz – Algeria" . African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 "Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz" . African Institute of International Law . 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 "Fatsah Ouguergouz - Class of 1991" (PDF) . Geneva Graduate Institute . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Burundi" . Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . United Nations . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Biographies of the members of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi" . United Nations Human Rights Council . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 "President of Human Rights Council appoints Members of Commission of Inquiry on Burundi" . Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . United Nations. November 22, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Fatsah Ouguergouz" . Geneva Graduate Institute . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi" . United Nations General Assembly . United Nations. August 11, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Oral Briefing by Fatsah Ouguergouz, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi" . Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . United Nations. June 15, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Public Redacted Version of "Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute on the Authorization of an Investigation into the Situation in the Republic of Burundi", ICC-01/17-X-9-US-Exp, 25 October 2017" . International Criminal Court . November 9, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Burundi and the International Criminal Court" (PDF) . Coalition for the International Criminal Court . November 21, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 "Justice John Lawrence O'Meally and Justice Fatsah Ouguergouz join the ICJ" . International Commission of Jurists . April 1, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 Chimanda, Leonard (2020). "Decisions of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights: An Appraisal of Separate Opinions of Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz" (PDF) . Commonwealth Law Review Journal . 6 . Ahmedabad : Creative Connect International Publishers: 106– 128. ISSN 2581-3382 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Separate Opinion of Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz" (PDF) . African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights . December 15, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Jalloh, Charles Chernor (2010). "International Decision - African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights - Michelot Yogogombaye v. Republic of Senegal" . American Journal of International Law . 104 . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press : 620– 628. doi :10.5305/amerjintelaw.104.4.0620 . ISSN 0002-9300 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Separate Opinion of Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz" (PDF) . African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights . June 26, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Nicholas-Odum, Usani (October 2, 2020). "The Revised Rules of the African Court 2020: towards a more effective African Court" . AfricanLII . University of Cape Town and Laws.Africa. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Assembly of the African Union - Fifth Ordinary Session – 4-5 July 2005 - Assembly/AU/Dec.83 (V)" (PDF) . African Union . African Union Commission . July 5, 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Executive Council - Eighth Ordinary Session – 16-21 January 2006 - EX.CL/Dec.237 (VIII)" (PDF) . African Union . African Union Commission. January 16, 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Assembly of the African Union - Eleventh Ordinary Session - 30 June-1 July 2008 - Assembly/AU/Dec.196 (XI)" (PDF) . African Union . African Union Commission. July 1, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Administrative Tribunal" . African Development Bank Group . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "International Law and African Self-Determination: A Distinguished Lecture Series" . Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences . African Union. November 8, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 "Public Notice of Appointment" . China International Commercial Court (CICC) . Supreme People’s Court of the People's Republic of China . December 1, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 "Justice Dr Fatsah Ouguergouz" . Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC) . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Mr. Mohamed Ismail Reygal (Somalia) v. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)" . Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 "CICC - Fatsah Ouguergouz" . China International Commercial Court . Supreme People’s Court of the People's Republic of China. September 25, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Fatsah Ouguergouz" . China International Commercial Court . Supreme People’s Court of the People's Republic of China. September 25, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Shan, Wenhua; Feng, Yunya (January 29, 2022). "The China International Commercial Court: towards an integrated dispute resolution system" . Asia Pacific Law Review . 29 (1). Hong Kong : Taylor & Francis : 107– 128. doi :10.1080/10192557.2021.2013661 . ISSN 1875-8444 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission" . China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "South China International Arbitration Center (Hong Kong)" . South China International Arbitration Center (HK) . 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)" . Global Arbitration Review . Law Business Research. 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 "Arbitrator List" . Energy Disputes Arbitration Center (EDAC) . 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Energy Disputes Arbitration Center" . Energy Disputes Arbitration Center . 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Revision de la Constitution: Installation du Comité d'Experts Charge de l'Élaboration de Propositions" . Consulat Général d'Algérie à Paris . January 17, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Journal Officiel Algérie - F2020002 - Décret présidentiel n° 20-03" (PDF) . General Secretariat of the Government of Algeria . January 15, 2020. p. 7. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Appointment of Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz" . African Institute of International Law . 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "African Institute of International Law" . African Institute of International Law . 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Fatsah Ouguergouz" . Institut de Droit International . Institute of International Law. 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Schell Center for International Human Rights" . Schell Center for International Human Rights . Yale Law School . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Chair in Human Rights" . Georgetown Law . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "The Hague Academy of International Law 2018" (PDF) . The Hague Academy of International Law . 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "XXI - CDI Programação" . Centro de Direito Internacional . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Guimarães, Júlia (July 30, 2025). "Estudante participa de curso intensivo e reflete o direito internacional como 'instrumento de promoção da paz e da justiça' . g1 Presidente Prudente e Região . Globo Comunicação e Participações . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Yusuf, Abdulqawi A.; Ouguergouz, Fatsah, eds. (January 20, 2012). The African Union: Legal and Institutional Framework: A Manual on the Pan-African Organization Leiden : Martinus Nijhoff Publishers . ISBN 9789004221000 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Ouguergouz, Fatsah (June 1, 2003). The African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights: A Comprehensive Agenda for Human Dignity and Sustainable Democracy in Africa Nijhoff Publishers . ISBN 9789041120618 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Ouguergouz, Fatsah (September 1, 1993). La Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples – Une approche juridique des droits de l’homme entre tradition et modernité Paris : Presses Universitaires de France . ISBN 2130453252 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ Ouguergouz, Fatsah (November 26, 2018). "The Protection of Chinese Investments in Africa: a Brief Overview of Investor-State Dispute Settlement Mechanisms" . African Yearbook of International Law . 23 . Leiden: Brill: 194– 206. doi :10.1163/22116176_02301009 . ISBN 9789004429369 ISSN 2211-6176 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "African Yearbook of International Law" . African Yearbook of International Law . Brill. ISSN 1380-7412 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Jinan Journal for Human Rights" . Jinan Journal for Human Rights . Al Jinan University . ISSN 2412-0766 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "African Human Rights Law Journal" . African Human Rights Law Journal . Pretoria University Law Press . ISSN 1996-2096 . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts" . Oxford Public International Law . Oxford University Press . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Session of Rabat (2025)" . Institute of International Law . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Change Fondation Abi-Saab pour le droit international et la justice sociale, Pregny-Chambésy" . Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC . October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025 . ↑ Launch of the Fondation Abi-Saab pour le droit international et la justice sociale Geneva : Geneva Graduate Institute. October 31, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025 – via YouTube . ↑ "Le Comité d'Honneur" . Fondation Kéba Mbaye . 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Fostering, assisting & promoting international law in Africa" . African Association of International Law . 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "SFDI Société française pour le droit international" . SFDI Société française pour le droit international . 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Strathmore Institute of Advanced Studies in International Criminal Justice (SIASIC)" . Strathmore Institute of Advanced Studies in International Criminal Justice . Strathmore University . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "African Foundation for International Law" . African Foundation for International Law . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "World Poetry Movement – A Poetry Day for Dialogue and Peace" . Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue . July 25, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "Association Awards - Lifetime Professional Achievement" . Geneva Graduate Institute . Retrieved October 6, 2025 . ↑ "1927–2027 - Our Alumni-ae, Our History" . Geneva Graduate Institute . November 9, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025 . External links
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