The court has two chambers, one for general legal matters and one for rulings on the human rights treaties.
In January 2005, a panel of legal experts assembled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to formulate a draft protocol that honored the integrity of the two independent courts, yet established a way to regulate the decorum of the now merged court.
Afterwards, a panel met in Nigeria to propose a draft protocol to the Executive Council of the African Union.
It was decided that operations should begin, and the headquarters would be in the East region of Africa by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
Even though the judges of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights are expected to uphold high morality, they are granted full immunity from international laws, throughout and after office.