A Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Sir Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, has called for a deeper understanding of human rights treaties and their binding implications for member states.
He emphasized that once a country signs a treaty, it is under a legal and moral obligation to align its domestic laws with international standards.
Speaking at the launch of his new 968-page scholarly book titled “International Human and People’s Rights, Law and Practice” at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences on Friday, October 10, 2025, Justice Adjei explained that the failure to appreciate the legal weight of human rights treaties often results in violations that undermine both national and international justice systems.
“Nobody forces a country to go and sign a treaty. And once you sign a treaty, you subordinate your constitution to the treaty. So if there are violations, they shall order you to go and align,” he added.
He underscored the necessity for national policymakers, legal practitioners, and citizens alike to recognize that treaty ratification is not a symbolic act, but a binding commitment to uphold international human rights obligations.
Experience on continent’s highest human rights court
Justice Adjei, who also serves as a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, said his extensive experience on the continent’s highest human rights court gave him a rare vantage point to observe how international law shapes national practice.
“Every year the three international courts — the African Court, Inter-American Court, and European Court — we meet,” he disclosed. “This year we are meeting on the 4th, 5th and 6th in Tanzania. So I take advantage.
And at the ICC, I served on the advisory committee. So whenever I was there, I visited the courtroom, I looked at the rules, and I saw that I have rights for people to publish it.”
He explained that his motivation for writing the book stemmed from the need to bridge the gap between theory and practice in international human rights jurisprudence.
“I wrote this book for several reasons,” he said. “Wherever I go — library or bookshop — you see literature on the African courts, the African Commission, the Inter-American courts and Commission, and the European courts on human rights.
Then you see literature on the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. But you never get the fight together.”
National constitutions / international treaties
According to him, the book explores the relationship between national constitutions and international treaties, while also examining how global human rights systems interact.
He noted that understanding this relationship is key to strengthening judicial independence and protecting the dignity of citizens. “If you are writing a judgment and you see how the international court has dealt with an aspect, it is going to enrich our judgments,” he said.
“Everybody must get a copy. The language is very simple, and you will love it. It will help you in your practice, not only as a lawyer but as a head of institution.”
Justice Adjei also took time to clarify the conceptual distinction between human rights and peoples’ rights, stressing that the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights remains unique in recognizing both.
“Human rights belong to you as a person — your right to life and all of that,” he explained. “But when we talk about peoples’ rights, it belongs to the community.
“That is why we have human and peoples’ rights. Human means it belongs to you specifically, but peoples’ means it belongs to the community.”
He further reflected on how the African Court handles violations of rights by emphasizing that legal accountability is directed at the state, not individuals or institutions.
“When you are here, you don’t bring the action against the Supreme Court; you bring it against the country. So we handle cases against whole countries for acts committed by their apex courts,” he clarified.
International judgments
Justice Adjei also illustrated how international judgments have contributed to progressive interpretations of human rights principles. Referring to a recent case in which the African Court struck down the mandatory death penalty, he said,
“If you respect life, why should you say that once you convict the person, mandatory imposition of death must follow? If it is death alone, that means you do not respect life in respect of the treaty that you have signed.”
He reiterated that the processes of international adjudication, from filing applications to writing judgments, share a universal structure that his book comprehensively details.
“All the international courts follow the same procedure — you come as an applicant, and you bring the action against the respondent, which is the state.
“From the beginning to the end, I have discussed everything — how they write their judgments, admissibility, objection — everything. That is why the book is quite big. But it is 968 pages.”
Justice Adjei further encouraged both scholars and practitioners to see international human rights law as an indispensable guide for justice delivery.
“I wrote this book because I know it will serve the interest of people who are learning human rights and international law.
“From beginning to end, you will see how the courts operate, how they apply the law, and how their decisions influence our domestic practice. It is not only a book for lawyers — it is a book for every thinker of justice,” he said.
