Name of the institution : Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court

President :
Mr Tia KONE (President of the Supreme Court)
Mr Georges AMANGOUA (President of the Administrative Chamber)

Address :
Supreme Court
BP V 30
Abidjan 01 RCI
Republic of Ivory Coast

Phone number :
(225) 20.25.71.71

Fax :
(225) 20 21 63 04
(225) 22 44 51 29

E-Mail :
chambreadtive@yahoo.fr

Composition and structure

Number of members :
Three (The Vice-President of the Supreme Court, President of the Chamber, and two magistrates).

Recruitment procedures and incompatibilities :
The President and councillors which form the Administrative Chamber are recruited amongst the magistrates placed out of any hierarchy of the civil courts system, the only one existing since the independence of the country.
They are subject to the legal status of the judicature.

Internal organization :
Beside the three magistrates, the Administrative Chamber includes also a secretary of chamber.

Publications :
It is foreseen to create an index of the judgments and a review, describing the activities of the whole Supreme Court.

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Court functions

Jurisdiction :
The Administrative Chamber is competent to hear the petitions for cassation against the judgments pronounced in last instance in affairs where one of the parties is a public corporation. However, the rulings of the penal jurisdictions are always submitted to the Judicial Chamber.
The Administrative Chamber is competent, in first and last instance, to declare void decisions issued by administrative authorities for being ultra vires.
It is also competent, in first and last instance, to try all disputes related to elections except those refered to the Constitutional Chamber.

Organization of the courts system :
The former colony of the Ivory Coast had almost the same dualistic organization than France. After the declaration of the independence, only the civil courts had been maintained. Therefore, the administrative litigations are adjudicated, in first instance, by the tribunals of first instance. Their rulings may be challenged, in appeal, before the courts of appeal. These jurisidictions try all civil, penal and commercial disputes and even the administrative cases except the actions in annulment and the electoral disputes.

Powers of the judge :
The prerogatives of the judge differ according to the various levels distinguished before. In first instance and in appeal, the judge may award damages, but he may not annul or reverse an admininstrative decision.
When trying an action for ultra vires, the Administrative Chamber can annul the contested administrative decision.

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Advisory functions

Existence and extent of an advisory authority :
The consultative functions are common to all the chambers of the Supreme Court and are exercised by its President.

Authority and publicity of the advices :
The government generally takes the advices into account. They are not published, but their existence is mentioned in all cases where the consultation is obligatory. .

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