Justice Ministers and attorney generals of the AU member states met recently at the AU headquarters, Addis Ababa to consider recommendations made by legal experts on the merger of the two courts.

The AU commission said the institutional merger would make it feasible to bring together the competences of the two statutory organs of the AU.

The Commission said after a three-day preparatory meeting in Abuja, the experts have come up with a draft single legal instrument on the proposed merger.

The ministers and the attorneys 'general would peruse before being submitted to the next assembly of the Heads of State and government for endorsement.

It will be recalled that a meeting of the AU Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC) and legal experts finalized the protocol relating to this merger in May 2006.

The legal experts have also made recommendations to the ministers regarding the statute of the AU Commission.

They were based on issues pertaining to international law and the codification and progressive development of international law in the African continent.

The merger of the two courts would lead to the establishment of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights with its headquarters located in Arusha, Tanzania.

R:12:30-12:50 AM

E: 1:38-1:54

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