By Spy Uganda
Uganda is warming up to host the 2nd Annual East African Court of Justice Judicial Conference set for 26th– 28th October 2022 under the theme, Transforming Access to Justice in the East African Community.
According to organizers, the overall objective of the Conference is to stimulate high-level conversations and discussions on emerging legal and judicial issues including, emerging jurisprudence, issues affecting Courts and Court users and provide a platform for information sharing among judges, judicial officers and legal practitioners and other Court users in the region.
The 2nd Annual EACJ Judicial Conference is expected to draw participants from the seven (7) East African Community (EAC) Partner States who shall include Chief Justices, Ministers of Justice, Attorneys General, Ministers in charge of EAC Affairs, Judges from regional and national courts, Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions, Members of Parliament, legal practitioners, members of the academia, representatives of civil society organisations, representatives of the private sector and the media.
We have learnt that following the conclusion of the conference, the EA Court of Justice shall hold its annual rotational court sessions during the month of November at the Commercial Court of Uganda premises in Kampala.
The objective of rotating the Court’s November sessions is to bring the services of the Court closer to the people and to enhance the visibility of the Court as it undertakes its mandate of promoting access to justice by ensuring adherence to law in the interpretation and application and of compliance with the EAC Treaty.
The Court mainly handles disputes arising from the violation of fundamental and operational principles that govern the achievement of the objectives of the Community by the EAC Partner States as enshrined in the Treaty under Articles 6 (d) and 7 (2).
These principles include good governance, adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality as well as recognition, promotion and protection of human and people’s rights in accordance with the African charter on Human and Peoples’ rights.
