The East African Court of Justice will promote the rule of law in the East African Community, according to Speaker Anita Among, who has pledged her support.
Speaker Among requested the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to make sure they are people-centered and that residents in partner states sense their presence during a meeting with EACJ officials led by the President, Hon. Justice Nestor Kayobera.
Hosting this [EACJ conference] is one way to let Ugandans understand the integration process and that if you don’t obtain justice in local courts, you may go to the EACJ; I am a living example, she added.
“As Parliament, we are ready to support the East African Court of Justice,” she said.
“Parliament continues to efficiently fulfill the function of integration by approving the EALA-passed laws, which we think are beneficial to integration.
We promise to give you any assistance you need, and doing so will benefit integration, she said.
To address the advancements made by the regional court, the EACJ is getting ready to hold a conference in October of this year.
For his part, Justice Kayobera congratulated Speaker Among on her election and promised to utilize judicial diplomacy to improve the public’s knowledge of the court in East Africa.
Justice Kayobera, who was joined by Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, another judge at the EACJ, said that by establishing the issue of judicial diplomacy, “which will be a critical linkage between what the court does and how the people look at it,” the court could better understand how the public views it.
The Common Market Protocol and non-tariff obstacles, which permit free trade in the region, are not enough for some partner states, according to Speaker Among, who urged regional partners to finally address the issue of non-tariff barriers.
We should be interested in the need to exercise the spirit of Ubuntu; we need each other, she added.
“Non-tariff barriers have continued to be overcome by some members of the community,” she said.