UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Law
LCP4807
International Human Rights Law
Semester I, 2026 — Assignment 02
Legal Opinion: Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies,
Admissibility Before the African Commission,
and the African Human Rights System
Due Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (Cut-off: 16:00)
Module: LCP4807 — International Human Rights Law
Assignment: 02
Prepared by: Expert in International Human Rights Law
This legal opinion is prepared for academic purposes
in compliance with UNISA assessment requirements.
Department of Criminal and Procedural Law | UNISA | 2026
,UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Human Rights
Contents
Table of Contents 2
1 Question 1: Legal Opinion on the Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Reme-
dies 3
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.1 The Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies: General Overview . . . . 3
1.3 1.2 The Nature of the Remedy: Available, Effective, and Adequate . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 1.3 Question (a): Can DAA Take This Case to the ACERWC? . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.1 The Correct Forum: ACERWC, Not the African Commission . . . . . . . 5
1.4.2 The Problem of Non-Exhaustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 1.4 Question (b): Is the Exhaustion Prerequisite Flexible or Inflexible? . . . . . . 6
1.6 1.5 Question (c): Circumstances Under Which the Applicant May Be Exempted . 7
1.6.1 1.5.1 Futility of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.2 1.5.2 Unavailability of Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.3 1.5.3 Undue Prolongation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.4 1.5.4 Gross or Systematic Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.5 1.5.5 State Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.7 1.6 Conclusion to Question 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Question 2: Legal Opinion — COMOROS and the Case of the Daniel/Ricardor
Family Before the African Commission 10
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 2.1 Can the NGO Take This Case to the African Commission? . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.1 2.1.1 Standing (Locus Standi) of the NGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.2 2.1.2 State Party Status of Sofala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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, UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Human Rights
2.2.3 2.1.3 The Article 34(6) Declaration Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 2.2 Procedural Issues: Admissibility Under Article 56 of the African Charter . . . 11
2.3.1 2.2.1 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies in This Case . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4 2.3 Substantive Issues: Rights Violated Under the African Charter . . . . . . . . 12
2.4.1 2.3.1 Right to Education (Article 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4.2 2.3.2 Right to the Best Attainable Standard of Health and to a Healthy En-
vironment (Articles 16 and 24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.3 2.3.3 Right to Development (Article 22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.4 2.3.4 Rights of Women Under the Maputo Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.5 2.3.5 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Under the ICESCR . . . . . . 14
2.5 2.4 The Budgetary Constraints Defence: A Critical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.5.1 2.4.1 The Domestic Court’s Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.5.2 2.4.2 Implications for the African Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.6 2.5 Possible Remedies Before the African Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.7 2.6 Conclusion to Question 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Reference List 17
Page 2 of 18
College of Law
LCP4807
International Human Rights Law
Semester I, 2026 — Assignment 02
Legal Opinion: Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies,
Admissibility Before the African Commission,
and the African Human Rights System
Due Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (Cut-off: 16:00)
Module: LCP4807 — International Human Rights Law
Assignment: 02
Prepared by: Expert in International Human Rights Law
This legal opinion is prepared for academic purposes
in compliance with UNISA assessment requirements.
Department of Criminal and Procedural Law | UNISA | 2026
,UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Human Rights
Contents
Table of Contents 2
1 Question 1: Legal Opinion on the Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Reme-
dies 3
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.1 The Principle of Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies: General Overview . . . . 3
1.3 1.2 The Nature of the Remedy: Available, Effective, and Adequate . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 1.3 Question (a): Can DAA Take This Case to the ACERWC? . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.1 The Correct Forum: ACERWC, Not the African Commission . . . . . . . 5
1.4.2 The Problem of Non-Exhaustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 1.4 Question (b): Is the Exhaustion Prerequisite Flexible or Inflexible? . . . . . . 6
1.6 1.5 Question (c): Circumstances Under Which the Applicant May Be Exempted . 7
1.6.1 1.5.1 Futility of Domestic Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.2 1.5.2 Unavailability of Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.3 1.5.3 Undue Prolongation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.4 1.5.4 Gross or Systematic Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.5 1.5.5 State Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.7 1.6 Conclusion to Question 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Question 2: Legal Opinion — COMOROS and the Case of the Daniel/Ricardor
Family Before the African Commission 10
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 2.1 Can the NGO Take This Case to the African Commission? . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.1 2.1.1 Standing (Locus Standi) of the NGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.2 2.1.2 State Party Status of Sofala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Page 1 of 18
, UNISA | LCP4807 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies & African Human Rights
2.2.3 2.1.3 The Article 34(6) Declaration Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 2.2 Procedural Issues: Admissibility Under Article 56 of the African Charter . . . 11
2.3.1 2.2.1 Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies in This Case . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4 2.3 Substantive Issues: Rights Violated Under the African Charter . . . . . . . . 12
2.4.1 2.3.1 Right to Education (Article 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4.2 2.3.2 Right to the Best Attainable Standard of Health and to a Healthy En-
vironment (Articles 16 and 24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.3 2.3.3 Right to Development (Article 22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.4 2.3.4 Rights of Women Under the Maputo Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.5 2.3.5 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Under the ICESCR . . . . . . 14
2.5 2.4 The Budgetary Constraints Defence: A Critical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.5.1 2.4.1 The Domestic Court’s Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.5.2 2.4.2 Implications for the African Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.6 2.5 Possible Remedies Before the African Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.7 2.6 Conclusion to Question 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Reference List 17
Page 2 of 18
