The East African Community (EAC) chief justices have called for 2.5 fixed percentage allocations in their states’ annual budget to fund courts in the partner states.
This came up at the 6th East African Community Justices Forum (EACJF) chaired by Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome.
The forum resolved that the budget should be increased to strengthen the judiciary to execute its duties “in a timely and efficient manner.”
The resolutions were made during the Joint Symposium of the Forum of EAC Chief Justices and the East African Community Judicial Education Committee (EACJEC) held from December 15 to December 16, 2021, in Mombasa Kenya, and adopted by the forum on December 17, 2021.
“The Chief Justices affirmed that it was essential that courts deepen and expand the use of technology in their operations through investment in infrastructure; recruitment of enough personnel; continuous training of judges, judicial officers and staff; continuous public education; and increased budget allocation to judicial digitisation,” the statement read in part.
“It was agreed that the chief justices of each country and President of the EACJ shall personally take charge in leading the automation processes within their jurisdictions,” it added.
In his speech at the Forum, the Secretary-General of EAC Peter Mutuku Mathuki called for cooperation and collaboration both in the EAC and national judiciaries.
“The EACJF-EACJEC Joint Symposium’s Resolutions were pertinent on how to improve judicial systems capacity to deliver justice to East Africans,” said Dr Mathuki.
He added that efficient delivery of justice was in line with the views of the Summit of EAC Heads of State in taking the Community to the people at the grassroots,” he said.
Mathuki lauded judiciaries of the EAC partner states for the use of e-services for delivery of justice during a hard time of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Legal fees scrapped
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) last month scrapped legal fees for the citizens of partner states to reduce the travelling costs to the headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
This was revealed by the Vice President of Burundi, Prosper Bazombanza, on the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the East African Court of Justice.
Bazombanza said that the court had established sub-registries in partner states as he pledged the support of the Republic of Burundi to the regional court.
“The East African Court of Justice also scrapped off case filing fees to allow East Africans file cases freely,” said Bazombanza.
“Yet another significant development is the development of e-filling, case management and recording systems which enabled it to work even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Burundi’s Vice President launched the EACJ Strategic Plan 2018-2023 and volume 3 of the EACJ Law Reports for the period 2015-2017 that have 1,088 cases attended to.
Bazombanza acknowledged the court for its remarkable achievements since its establishment in 2001.
“The court’s decision to sit here over the next few weeks is, therefore, a pragmatic approach in the dispensation of justice,” he added.
“The brave decision helps take the court to citizens and in so doing, broaden and bolden their perspective of integration on the one side while reassuring them of adherence to the rule of law and administration of justice.”
EACJ
East African Court of Justice was established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community in November 2001.
Its major responsibility is adherence to the interpretation and application of law according to the East African Community Treaty with its seat temporarily in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Judges of this regional court are appointed by Heads of State in a summit that brings competent Judges especially jurists or any other judge holding a high judicial office.
It is composed of eleven judges serving in two separate divisions; the First Instance Division headed by a Principal Judge and an Appellate Division that directly works with the President.
However, the judges are rotationally designated in a summit of the Heads of State and not possible from the same partner state.
All the judges serve on an ad hoc basis except for the President and the Principal Judge that hold office for seven years and can step down when the person reaches 70 years old.
The Judges of the Appellate Division currently are Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja as the Judge President, Liboire Nkurunziza as Vice-President of the Court, Aaron Ringera, Geoffrey Kiryabwire and Sauda Mjasiri.
The First Instance Division include Monica Mugenyi as the Principal Judge, Audace Ngiye, Dr. Charles Oyo Nyawello and Charles Oyako Nyachae.