Law n° 19-99 dated 15th August 1999 modifying and supplementing certain
provisions of law n° 022-92 dated 20th August 1992 relative to the organisation
of judicial authority in article 2:
«Congolese citizens shall be equal before the law and before the jurisdictions.
They may act or defend themselves verbally or by written submissions before
all jurisdictions excepting the Supreme Court. The law is the guarantor of all
institutions. However, at the end of a trial, if the ruling is that the costs are
borne by the parties, these costs shall be borne collectively and in proportion to
the gravity of the respective sentences.»
c) The right to the respect for life and the protection of the human person.
(Articles 4 and 5 of the ACHPR)
The Charter on the rights and liberties in its article 2 stipulates as follows : shall
be sacrosanct «All individuals shall be entitled to the right to life, liberty, and
physical and moral integrity. » In Article 3, it is set forth as follows : «The
human being is sacred. The State and individuals shall be compelled to protect
and preserve the human being. Abortion other than for medical reasons shall
be prohibited and punishable by law.».
« The human being shall be sacrosanct and shall be entitled to life. The State
shall have the absolute obligation to respect and protect … ». (Article 7 of the
Constitution of 20 January, 2002).
d) The principle of the right to freedom (article 6 of the ACHPR )
The Constitution of 20 January 2002 is very clear on this principle: it sets forth
the following;
Article 9 : « Freedom of the human being shall be inviolable ».
Article 16 : « All citizens shall have the right to freely leave the national territory
if they are not involved in a criminal case and to return thereto.».
Article 18 : « Freedom of belief and freedom of conscience shall be inviolable ».
Article 19 : « Freedom
guaranteed. ».
of
information
and
communication
shall
be
Article 21 : « The State shall recognise, in line with the conditions defined by the
law, the freedom to come and go, associate, assembly, join a procession and a
demonstration.».
The Charter on Rights and Freedom stipulates namely that :
Article 1 : « All human beings shall be born free and equal before the law.».
Article 11 : «The freedom of the human being shall be inviolable. Any person
shall be entitled to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion....… ».
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