{"id":496,"date":"2024-06-26T03:44:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T02:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/?post_type=publication&#038;p=496"},"modified":"2024-06-26T03:44:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T02:44:26","slug":"general-principles-and-introduction-to-digital-rights-litigation","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/publications\/introductory-modules-on-digital-rights-and-freedom-of-expression-online\/module-10-introduction-to-litigating-digital-rights-in-africa\/general-principles-and-introduction-to-digital-rights-litigation\/","title":{"rendered":"General Principles and Introduction to Digital Rights Litigation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 id=\"what-are-digital-rights\" class=\"chapter-section\">What are digital rights?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is now firmly entrenched by both the ACHPR[footnote]ACHPR, \u2018Resolution on the right to freedom of information and expression on the internet in Africa\u2019, ACHPR\/Res.362(LIX), (2016) (accessible at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.achpr.org\/sessions\/resolutions?id=374\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.achpr.org\/sessions\/resolutions?id=374<\/a>).[\/footnote] and the United Nations[footnote]UN Human Rights Council, \u2018The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet\u2019 A\/HRC\/32\/L.20, (2016) at para 1 (accessible at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.article19.org\/data\/files\/Internet_Statement_Adopted.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.article19.org\/data\/files\/Internet_Statement_Adopted.pdf<\/a>).[\/footnote] (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.article19.org\/data\/files\/Internet_Statement_Adopted.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UN<\/a>) that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular the right to freedom of expression.&nbsp;As stipulated in article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/professionalinterest\/pages\/ccpr.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ICCPR<\/a>), the right to freedom of expression applies regardless of frontiers and through any media of one\u2019s choice.&nbsp;Digital rights are basically human rights in the digital era, comprising the rights that are implicated in our access to and use of technologies as well as how fundamental rights play out in the online environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet does give rise to particular challenges that need to be noted when considering litigation on digital rights issues. The ability to publish immediately on the internet and reach an expansive audience can create difficulties. For example, the borderless nature of the internet can make establishing the true identity of an online speaker more challenging, founding jurisdiction for a claim more complex, or achieving accountability for wrongdoing that has been perpetrated online more difficult. Moreover, it can be challenging to fully remove content once it has been published online, or to contain its impact and spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, while the new digital world has certainly created some new issues, there are many that can be readily dealt with by applying a reasonable approach to the established principles of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group highlight\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong><strong>The impact of strategic litigation in SSA<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strategic or impact litigation has played an important role in advancing freedom of expression in sub-Saharan Africa for many years. Some of the most foundational cases relating to journalists operating in both the offline and online realm include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.african-court.org\/en\/images\/Cases\/Judgment\/Judgment%20Appl.004-2013%20Lohe%20Issa%20Konate%20v%20Burkina%20Faso%20-English.pdf\"><em>Konat\u00e9 v Burkina Faso<\/em><\/a> (2013): the African Court on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights held that criminal defamation laws that imposed sanctions of imprisonment were incompatible with Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights and other international human rights provisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.african-court.org\/en\/images\/Cases\/Judgment\/Judgment%20Appl.004-2013%20Lohe%20Issa%20Konate%20v%20Burkina%20Faso%20-English.pdf\"><em>Media Council of Tanzania v Attorney-General of the United Republic of Tanzania<\/em><\/a> (2019): the EACJ held that certain provisions of Tanzania\u2019s Media Services Act relating to fake news and rumours violated the right to freedom of expression by their broad and vague wording.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu\/cases\/serap-v-federal-republic-of-nigeria\/\"><em>SERAP v Federal Republic of Nigeria<\/em><\/a> (2022): the ECOWAS Court held that the government\u2019s suspension of Twitter in the country in 2021 violated the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and the media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu\/cases\/amnesty-international-togo-and-ors-v-the-togolese-republic\/\"><em>Amnesty International Togo v the Togolese Republic<\/em><\/a> (2020): The ECOWAS Court held that the Togolese government violated the right to freedom of expression by shutting down the internet during protests in September 2017.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.courtecowas.org\/download\/isaac-olamikan-anor-v-federal-republic-of-nigeria\/\"><em>Isaac Olamikan &amp; Anor v. Federal Republic of Nigeria<\/em><\/a> (2023). The journalists faced deregistration due to their online journalistic activities. . The Court agreed, finding flaws in provisions regarding journalist registration and editor appointment qualifications by the Nigerian Press Council, failing to recognize the public interest served by online and citizen journalists. Emphasizing the evolving media landscape, the Court highlighted the influential role of influencers and content creators in shaping public opinion, noting that social media offers an unrestricted platform for information dissemination and expression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/resource-hub\/introduction-to-digital-rights\/\" class=\"button\">More Resources on Digital Rights<\/a>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"general-principles-in-litigating-digital-rights\" class=\"chapter-section\">General principles in litigating digital rights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to jurisdiction and standing, there are a number of procedural requirements that form an essential part of any litigation strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  id=\"admissibility\" class=\"chapter-subsection\">\r\n    <div class=\"chapter-subsection__inner\">\r\n                    <h4>Admissibility<\/h4>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Admissibility refers to the process applied by international human rights fora to ensure that only cases that need international adjudication are brought before them. The principle of admissibility in regional fora usually requires that all domestic remedies are exhausted and that consideration be given to whether there are rules relating to prescription and whether the forum recognises the concept of ongoing harm. In effect, admissibility dictates that an attempt to resolve a matter domestically should have taken place before approaching a regional or international forum.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  id=\"representation\" class=\"chapter-subsection\">\r\n    <div class=\"chapter-subsection__inner\">\r\n                    <h4>Representation<\/h4>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Different courts and fora might have different rules relating to legal representation. Sometimes legal representation is not required, but might be useful; other times, the court or forum might facilitate the provision of free legal aid. Representation does not always have to be legal, and litigants can sometimes be represented by a person of their choice.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  id=\"amicus-curiae\" class=\"chapter-subsection\">\r\n    <div class=\"chapter-subsection__inner\">\r\n                    <h4>Amicus curiae<\/h4>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An <em>amicus curiae<\/em> is a \u2018friend of the court\u2019. It is not a main party to the litigation but is accepted by the court or forum to join the proceedings to advise and assist it in respect of a question of law or other issues that affect the case in question. Interested parties usually need to apply to the court or forum requesting permission to intervene in the matter and typically need to prove that they have an interest in the matter, their submissions will be of use to the court or forum, and that they will not be repeating the arguments of the main litigants. Courts and fora usually have the discretion to grant or refuse an <em>amicus<\/em> application. It is worth noting that <em>amicus<\/em> interventions can be particularly useful when litigating digital rights matters as there is often a need for technical and expert analysis given the constant progression within the digital environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is now firmly entrenched by both the ACHPR[footnote]ACHPR, \u2018Resolution on the right to freedom of information and expression on the internet in Africa\u2019, ACHPR\/Res.362(LIX), (2016) (accessible at: https:\/\/www.achpr.org\/sessions\/resolutions?id=374).[\/footnote] and the United Nations[footnote]UN Human Rights Council, \u2018The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet\u2019 A\/HRC\/32\/L.20, (2016) at para 1 (accessible at: https:\/\/www.article19.org\/data\/files\/Internet_Statement_Adopted.pdf).[\/footnote] [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":491,"menu_order":340,"template":"page-templates\/chapter.php","publication-category":[],"class_list":["post-496","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>General Principles and Introduction to Digital Rights Litigation | eReader<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The internet gives rise to particular challenges that need to be noted when considering litigation on digital rights issues.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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