African Judicial Network Webinar Series on Series on Electoral Justice

African Judicial Network

Webinar Series on Electoral Justice

Elections are becoming increasingly litigious globally, leading to intense disputes over all parts of the electoral process and, in some cases, uncertain outcomes. Election officials and judges face electoral objections and legal challenges that are intensely political and technically complex, such as cases relating to candidacy, political party funding, abuses of state resources, the spread of fake news during campaigns, or the use of technology in elections. In the 2024 elections, judges in Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, or Indonesia were on the front lines of protecting democracy and subject to pressures and threats to their independence and impartiality during elections. With elections being increasingly competitive with tight margins between contestants, the role of the electoral judge is crucial in the pre-election period to stop and deter further violations, thus contributing to a peaceful election day and a peaceful transfer of power in the post-election period.

There are commonalities in the challenges facing judges and judiciaries in the region, though their political and electoral contexts can vary. Following a request from the members of the African Judicial Exchange Network, the CEELI Institute, in partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and Partnerships for Integrity (P4I), proposes to present judicial officers’ unique function as arbiters in election disputes and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from the recently held elections. This webinar series will provide network members to discuss new developments and emerging threats from recent election dispute resolution processes and identify good practices and innovative approaches to advance the efficient, timely and transparent adjudication of election disputes in Africa.

The African Judicial Exchange Network members identified the following topics for discussion:

- The crucial role of judges in addressing election disputes and protecting democracy

- Enhancing preparedness of judges (deadlines, special rules, training, and digital tools)

- Evidentiary rules and burden of proof for election litigation

- Special consideration for the use of election technology-related litigation

- Protecting electoral integrity in the digital age

- Resisting political pressures in election disputes

- Access to electoral justice for women

Webinar 3 | January 26, 2026

Independence & Impartiality in Electoral Justice: Managing pressures in elections

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