News / Africa
African Union justice ministers to meet
06 Feb 2012 at 18:23hrs | Views
Ministers of Justice and Attorney Generals from the African Union (AU) member states are set to meet to further scrutinise the proposal to transform the Pan African Parliament to a legislative body as the item failed to make it to the recently held African Union Summit agenda.
While members of the Pan African Parliament were expected to have their status transformed from being a purely advisory body to a legislative one at the just ended 18th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit, the issue failed to take centre stage at the summit as the Ministers of Justice from the AU are still to meet.
Pan African Parliament Second Vice President, Dr Joram Gumbo said the Permanent Representatives' Council, which is composed of ambassadors from the AU member states, has already endorsed the transformation though justice ministers are yet to discuss the issue.
On the establishment of the AU Court, Dr Gumbo said until the Pan African Parliament is transformed, African leaders will always be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague.
He said there is need for the Heads of State and Government from the continent to expedite the parliament's transformation and pave way for the court's establishment.
The parliament was mooted in Libya in 2001 by the 5th Extra Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
It exercises oversight and has advisory and consultative powers which lasted for five years.
Initially, the seat of the Pan African Parliament was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but it was later moved to Midrand, South Africa.
While members of the Pan African Parliament were expected to have their status transformed from being a purely advisory body to a legislative one at the just ended 18th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit, the issue failed to take centre stage at the summit as the Ministers of Justice from the AU are still to meet.
Pan African Parliament Second Vice President, Dr Joram Gumbo said the Permanent Representatives' Council, which is composed of ambassadors from the AU member states, has already endorsed the transformation though justice ministers are yet to discuss the issue.
On the establishment of the AU Court, Dr Gumbo said until the Pan African Parliament is transformed, African leaders will always be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague.
The parliament was mooted in Libya in 2001 by the 5th Extra Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
It exercises oversight and has advisory and consultative powers which lasted for five years.
Initially, the seat of the Pan African Parliament was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but it was later moved to Midrand, South Africa.
Source - zbc
