The African Court dismissed DRC’s request for expedited procedure, holding it could not abridge defence-related time limits, but listed the case for priority handling.
The Court rejected the request for expedited procedure because the respondent did not expressly waive its right to the 90-day response period, and the complexity of the case did not justify shortening the deliberation period. However, the Court decided to give priority to the examination of the application due to the seriousness of the alleged violations.
The Court found that the revision of the Constitution of Benin was not based on national consensus as required by Article 10(2) of the ACDEG, rendering the revision and related laws inconsistent with Benin’s international obligations. The Court also found that the Inter-Ministerial Decree prohibiting issuance of official documents to persons wanted by courts violated the presumption of innocence and the right to equality of access to public services. The Court dismissed other alleged violations as moot or unsubstantiated.