Call for Papers: Evidence Matters Before Regional Human Rights Courts: The African Court in Critical and Comparative Perspective, 11–13 May 2026

Call for Papers: Evidence Matters Before Regional Human Rights Courts: The African Court in Critical and Comparative Perspective

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, this international conference will explore one of the most underexamined yet critical aspects of human rights adjudication — evidence.
We invite scholars and practitioners to contribute papers that critically engage with evidentiary practices before the African Court, and in comparative perspective with other human rights bodies such as:
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
The European Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights
UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Key Themes:
1️⃣ Law, what law? – Clarifying evidentiary rules and reasoning
2️⃣ From unequal arms to … ? – Addressing evidentiary imbalance between parties
3️⃣ Seeking which truth? – The role and limits of fact-finding
4️⃣ Sisterly courts? – Comparative approaches across regional systems
5️⃣ What does the future hold? – Best practices & innovations for evidentiary regimes

📅 Conference Dates: 11–13 May 2026
📍 Venue: Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa
📝 Abstract Deadline: 30 September 2025

Submit Your Abstract:
Send one PDF with title, theme, abstract (max 300 words), short bio (max 100 words), and contact details to dissect.erc@ugent.be with the subject “Pretoria Evidence Conference: Abstract Submission”.