EVENT | 10-12 May | Kigali, Rwanda
Judiciaries in East Africa play a prominent role in delivering justice and have adopted different strategies to address the obstacles to deliver quality justice service to citizens. To improve justice service delivery and enhance collaboration, the East African Judiciaries, through the Chief Justices, have acknowledged the importance of regular consultations amongst themselves to appraise the administration of justice at the regional level.
It is against this backdrop that on 10-12 May 2021 the East African Chief Justices Forum will take place, providing an opportunity for the Chief Justices of the six East African Partner States to meet and consider the state of the rule of law and access to justice within the region, discussing achievements and lessons learned, as well as assessing the impact of Covid 19 on the delivery of justice and how the judiciaries in the region continue to play a key role in mitigating the effects of Covid 19 on the justice seekers. The meeting will further allow them to evaluate progress on implementing resolutions from the previous convening, thus fostering experience sharing and collaboration at the regional level towards the achievement of SDG16 and access to justice in the region.
To contribute to the above discussions and supporting access to justice in the region, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the East African Community (EAC) signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2018 aimed at supporting the professional development of EAC judicial officers as well as the improvement of the overall quality of Judicial Education in the region. In line with the MOU, on 10-12 May 2021, alongside the Chief Justices Forum, it is foreseen to convene the East African Judicial Education Committee (EAJEC), to discuss areas of capacity development with the Judicial Training Institutes in the East African region.
This will follow the identification of environmental law as a thematic area of focus for the EAJEC and its integration in judicial trainings to ensure a holistic approach. This is aimed at strengthening the capacities of judges and judicial officers in identifying and responding to various challenges that justice seekers face whilst seeking justice.
Within this background, IDLO and the EAC propose to organize a joint session on 12 May 2021 of Chief Justices, Judges and Judicial Officers from EAC Partner States, convened under the auspices of the EAJEC, in line with the implementation of their joint MOU, to support the continued standardization of judicial education on environmental law in the region and the identification of emerging areas of interest on environmental justice for the East African partner states, while ensuring the advancement of SDG16.
Details:
10-12 May | Kigali, Rwanda | For questions, please contact Barbara Kawira Japan, bkawira@idlo.int
