EACJ ANNUAL JUDGES’ SEMINAR OPENS IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Seated (L-R) Head RWI Office Kenya Mr. Josh Ounsted, Vice President of the Court Hon. Justice Liboire Nkurunziza, President of the Court Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja and Amb. Anders Kruse, Speaker from Sweden.  Standing (L-R) Mr. James Kasombo Programm Officer RWI, Justice Aaron Ringera, Justice Fakihi Jundu, Justice Audace Ngiye and Ag. Registrar Her Worship Ms. Geraldine Umugwaneza. 

The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) Annual Judges’ Seminar has opened in Nairobi, Kenya. The seminar which was organized by the Court in collaboration with Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) is one of the activities the RWI supports to build the court’s capacity and increase its visibility among stakeholders.

The Judge President of the EACJ, Hon. Justice Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, in his opening remarks commended the RWI for its continued support that had enabled the Court to build capacity through seminars and trainings for Judges, adding that RWI had also helped conduct sensitization workshops for the Stakeholders.

Justice Ugirashebuja further said that the outcome of the seminar would benefit the Court by furnishing it with the experience of the European Court of Justice particularly in handling matters of preliminary rulings referred to Court by the National Courts for interpretation in accordance with the provision of Article 34 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

The Head of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute Office in Kenya, Mr. Josh Ounsted, thanked the EACJ for its cooperation and partnership and pledged his organization’s continued support to the Court.

The three-day workshop commenced on December 9^th and will go on up to 11^th December 2015. It is being attended by Judges of the Court’s Appellate and First Instance Divisions. The workshop is being facilitated by Ambassador Anders Kruse – a distinguished Speaker from Sweden – who will take the Judges through a number of sessions.

The seminar mainly focus on the following areas: the Comparative special character of Regional Courts: the general structure of the European Union (EU) Courts; the relationship between Member States and the EU; Development in EU Law and fundamental rights (rule of Law and right to fair trial within the European Court of Human Rights); Preliminary rulings in the EU; special characteristics and interaction between member states’ Courts and the EU; Limits to the EU Court’s jurisdiction and freedom; References for Preliminary Rulings: Comparative Perspective; European integration and role of the EU Court; the EU criminal and procedural laws, litigation before the  European Court of Justice as well as a practitioner’s perspective.

During the seminar, the Court will also carry out the evaluation of its cooperation with the RWI and make recommendations for future directions and activities.

In attendance was also the Vice President of the Court, Justice Liboire Nkurunziza, Justice  Aaron Ringera (Appellate Division), the Deputy Principal Judge, Justice Isaac Lenaola, Justice Fakihi Jundu (First Instance Division), Justice Audace Ngiye (First Instance Division) and the Acting Registrar of the EACJ, Her Worship Ms. Geraldine Umugwaneza.