The Principal Judge, Hon. Justice Dr Flavian Zeija speaking at the opening of the training on understanding the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and good governance and the rule of law in the EAC
The Principal Judge, Hon. Justice Dr Flavian Zeija on October 29, 2021,opened a training on understanding the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and good governance and the rule of law in the East African Community at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo.
The day-long training for Judges of the Civil and Commercial Divisions of the High Court was held under the theme, "Enhancing the ability of the Bench and the Bar in East Africa to promote and expand the East African Civic Space through the East African Court of Justice Legal Architecture".
The Principal Judge in his remarks observed that the people of Uganda and East Africa have high expectations from the National courts and the EACJ. "To meet the high expectations of our people, we must be efficient. To achieve efficiency, continuous training/refresher courses become inevitable. We have to continue to keep relevant to our tasks as the integration of East Africa continues to grow from strength to strength."
He noted that the Courts of Judicature have a specific mandate in resolving the disputes. "Therefore, with the integration agenda, and the presence of the EACJ, many decisions will end up at the East African Court of Justice especially where the spirit and the letter of the treaty is in conflict."
The EACJ Registrar, HW Yufunaris Okubo, thanked the Principal Judge for gracing the training. He noted that the Court has been planning for the training for the last two years but due to various constraints, had failed to take off.
HW Okubo noted that as a Court they had realized that there was a need for awareness sessions of the different national Judiciaries on the role and mandate of EACJ.
He stressed that the deliberate move to sensitize Judicial Officers of EAC member States since National Judiciaries can equally deliberate on matters that touch the Treaty.
The Registrar reassured the Judges that by the end of the training and awareness creation, the Judicial Officers' commitment to deliver effectively as individuals, as a Court, as a country, and as a region, will be greatly enhanced.
Among the aspects covered were, the Overview of East African Court of Justice Architecture, Conceptualizing and Litigating Good Governance and Rule of Law in EAC as well as practical exercises on preliminary ruling reference.
Centre for Public Interest Law(CEPIL) Board Member, Mr Francis Gimara, noted that the training was conceptualized to build on the "foundational jurisprudence of rule of law and good governance that the EACJ has over the time issued in form of decisions." "The expectation is that we will see many lawyers begin to litigate matters of the EAC Treaty before national courts. The second expectation is that the national courts will also understand what their role is within the EAC framework and be able to render decisions that promote as enshrined in the EAC Treaty," he said.
The head of the Civil Division, Hon. Justice Musa Sekaana, who spoke on behalf of the participants thanked the facilitators for taking them through new areas which had now turned them into converts.
The climax of the training was the launch of a sourcebook by the EACJ Vice President, Hon. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire.
The sourcebook is a summary of key decisions and procedures on EAC Law. The organizers believe this will promote EAC Law in Uganda through the Ugandan Judiciary.
Hon. Justice Kiryabwire thanked the organizers for coming up with a sourcebook which he referred to as are source that can be utilized when looking at issues of rule of law and good governance.
The training was organized by the EACJ with support from Ford Foundation, Centre for Public Interest Law, and in partnership with the Judicial Training Institute.
Posted 29th, October 2021
