Regional Tribunal: EACJ to handle all arbitration cases

Zephania Ubwani

All arbitration cases in East Africa will now be handled by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), the president of the court, Justice Harold Nsekela, announced in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday.

He said during the opening of the first sub-registry of the regional court in Rwanda that the judicial body was open to cases involving disputes, disagreements and misunderstandings between various aggrieved parties in the bloc.

"The court must be visible in all the partner states," he said before the Rwandese Chief Justice, Prof Sam Rugege, cut the tape to officially inaugurate the sub-registry at the High Court of Rwanda premises.

He said the opening of the facility would cut down costs of filing cases at the EACJ headquarters in Arusha as well as reduce time spent by the concerned parties in shuttling between Kigali and Arusha.

Judge Nsekela told an audience which included senior officials of the East African Community (EAC) and the East African Legislative Assembly(Eala) that the opening of the registries was intended to take services closer to the citizens of East Africa.

Source: The Citizen (13/08/2012): http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/49-general-elections-news/24876-eacj-to-handle-all-arbitration-cases