Regional court's appeal ruling a win for free press

The Tanzanian Government, seen as oppressive in its attitude to a number of democratic freedoms, including freedom of expression and free media, has just lost a significant battle at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). The EACJ, a regional court set up to resolve disputes involving the East Africa Community and its member states, was approached by the newspaper, Mseto, after the Tanzanian Government suspended the newspaper from all operations for three years. First, the EACJ trial court held that the suspension was unlawful and set it aside. Now, the appeal tribunal has set aside the government’s appeal application and refused it an extension of time to file the appeal. The Tanzanian Government recently announced that it would no longer allow its citizens to bring cases against it in the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the continent’s human rights court. In view of the latest defeat at the EACJ, Carmel Rickard, in her A Matter of Justice column on the Legalbrief site, wonders whether Dodoma is considering how to prevent another embarrassing recurrence at the EACJ as well.

Full Human Rights Watch report

Mseto vs Attorney-General

East African Court of Justice appeal ruling

East African Court of Justice judgment

A Matter of Justice