Abbreviations
| acdeg | African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance |
| achpr | African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
| acj | African Court of Justice |
| ACtHPR | African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
| ACtJHR | African Court of Justice and Human Rights |
| afla | Africa Legal Aid |
| African Court | African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights |
| apsa | African Peace and Security Architecture |
| asf | African Standby Force |
| asp | icc Assembly of State Parties |
| Assembly | African Union Assembly |
| au Model Law | African Union Model Law on Universal Jurisdiction |
| au rec/rm mou | Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Area of Peace and Security between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and the Coordinating Mechanisms of the Regional Standby Brigades of Eastern Africa and North Africa |
| au | The African Union |
| auca | Constitutive Act of the African Union |
| Banjul Charter | African Human and Peoples’ Rights Charter |
| car | Central African Republic |
| cat | Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
| drc | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| eac | Extraordinary African Chambers |
| eccc | Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia |
| ecowas | Economic Community of West African States |
| EU | The European Union |
| hrw | Human Rights Watch |
| icc | International Criminal Court |
| iccpr | International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights |
| icescr | International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights |
| icj | International Court of Justice |
| icl | International Criminal Law |
| icls | International Criminal Law Section of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights |
| ictr | International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda |
| icty | International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia |
| ihl | International Humanitarian Law |
| ihr | International Human Rights |
| ilc | International Law Commission |
| Impunity Report | Panel of the Wise, Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges in the Fight against Impunity |
| lra | Lord’s Resistance Army |
| Malabo Protocol | Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights |
| Mbeki Report | Report of the African Union High-Level Panel on Darfur |
| mou | Memorandums of Understanding |
| nato | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
| ngos | Non-Governmental Organisations |
| oau | Organization of African Unity |
| otp | Office of the Prosecutor |
| pcrd | Policy on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development |
| pil | Public International Law |
| Prep Com | Ad Hoc Committee and Preparatory Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court |
| psc Protocol | The Protocol Relating the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union |
| psc | Peace and Security Council |
| rec/rms | Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms |
| SA | South Africa |
| sadc | Southern African Development Community |
| saps | South African Police Service |
| scsl | Special Court for Sierra Leone |
| sofas | Status of Force Agreements |
| stl | Special Tribunal for Lebanon |
| tj | Transitional justice |
| tjpf | Transitional Justice Policy Framework |
| ucg | Unconstitutional change of government |
| uj | Universal Jurisdiction |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| UN | United Nations |
| unamid | United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur |
| UNCh | United Nations Charter |
| unclos | 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| unga | United Nations General Assembly |
| unsc | United Nations Security Council |
| USA | United States of America |
| vclt | Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties |
Latin Principles
| Aut dedere aut judicare | Either extradite or prosecute |
| De lege ferenda | With a view to the future |
| Erga omnes | Towards all |
| Hostes humani generis | Enemies of humankind |
| Immunity ratione personae- | Personal immunity |
| Immunity ratione materiae | Functional immunity |
| Jus cogens | Compelling law / peremptory norms |
| Lex desiderata | Law as desired |
| Lex lata | The law as it exists |
| Nullum crimen sine lege | No crime without law |
| Ne bis in idem | Double jeopardy |
| Nulla poena sine lege | No penalty without law |
| Obiter dicta | Said in passing |
| Opinion juris sive necsittis | An opinion of law |
| Proprio motu | By ones’ own motion or initiative |
| Ultra vires | Beyond one’s legal the power or authority |