Uganda to host 19 African chief justices
Justice Mike Chibita during a media briefing in Kampala on September 25, 2024. PHOTO/ANTHONY WESAKA
What you need to know:
- Justice Chibita explained that every year, the forum holds a Chief Justice’ meeting and Chief Justice’ conference, hosted by the Judiciary of a member state and that this year Uganda is privileged to host the conference.
At least 19 Chief Justices from the Eastern and Southern parts of Africa will be jetting into the country at the weekend to attend the week-long conference in Kampala, Uganda.
The various heads of Judiciaries will be deliberating on contemporary matters affecting justice delivery in the sub-continent under their association, Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justice’ Forum (SEACJF).
“The Forum provides a formal platform, structure and framework through which the Chief Justices are able to collectively reflect on critical issues on justice delivery and adopt action plans to address those issues in a systematic and sustained way in order to strengthen justice delivery in the sub-region, upholding the rule of law, democracy and independence of the courts and promoting contact as well as co-operation among the State Courts in the regions of its operation,” said Justice Mike Chibita during a media briefing on September 25 ahead of next week’s conference in Munyonyo, Kampala.
The expected Chief Justices will be coming from the kingdom of Lesotho, kingdom of Eswatini, Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe and, Tanzania.
The conference that is expected to be officially opened by President Museveni on October 1, will run till October 4.
SEACJF was established in 2003 as an association that brings together Chief Justices and Judges from over 16 countries to deliberate on contemporary matters affecting justice delivery in the sub-continent.
Justice Chibita explained that every year, the forum holds a Chief Justice’ meeting and Chief Justice’ conference, hosted by the Judiciary of a member state and that this year Uganda is privileged to host the conference.
This year’s conference is going to be held under the theme: “Enhanced Access to Justice: Underscoring Reforms in African Judiciaries.”
Justice Chibita added that the Chief Justice of Uganda, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, has invited other chief justices from countries that are not members of the forum like South Sudan, Somalia, and Burundi.
The present chairperson of the forum is Chief Justice M. C. B. Maphalala of the kingdom of Eswatini, while the Vice/Deputy chairperson, is Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome.
