Burundi chief justice pledges support for regional court

By The Citizen Reporter.

Burundi Chief Justice Emmanuel Jenje has pledged full support to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) in promoting regional integration. Officially launching the EACJ’s last sub-registry in Bujumbura, Burundi, the CJ declared:

“The Burundi judiciary and government will consistently support the EACJ in raising awareness to promote the integration agenda for the mutual benefit of people in the region.” He said the Burundi judiciary has always offered cooperation to the EACJ, pointing out that its two judges also serve the EACJ.

He named them as Justice Laurent Nzosaba attached to the EACJ Appellate Division and Justice Jean Bosco Butasi who serves at the First Instance Division of the Court. “We have never failed to release them whenever the need for serving interests of the EACJ has risen,” the Chief Justice asserted. Expressing his pleasure to officiate the launching of the EACJ sub-registry, he advised the EACJ as well as other agencies and institutions to sustain this cooperation. (The Citizen Reporter)

He said it would embrace many areas of interest, such as training programmes for judges and judicial officers who will administer EAC laws as integration picks up.

CJ Jenje said the sub-registry will help Burundians who wish to file cases at the EACJ do so without the various challenges associated with filing cases in another country.

It will no longer just be hearing about ‘‘The Arusha Court,’ they will start actually seeing their “East African Community Court” among them.

The Burundi minister in the Office of the Presidency in charge of EAC Affairs, Ms Leontine Nzeyimana, commended the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers to allow the Court to open sub-registries in partner states.

She said: “The ministers took this decision mindful of the fact that our citizens today demand that we deliver the justice that they deserve; the one that is accessible, affordable, impartial and qualitative.

“The hope of the council and the entire EAC is that these sub-registries will contribute to the noble goals,” noted Ms Nzeyimana.

She added that the sub-registry will assist those who feel aggrieved by laws or decisions that seem to violate the EAC Treaty and hence undermine the goals and objectives of integration. Further, it will assist those who wish to have a determination of the EACJ and hopefully a remedial decision of the court.

Ms Nzeyimana emphasised that to have sub-registries within the member states was even more important because the role of the EACJ is expanding in response to the EAC becoming more people-centred and market driven.

The operation of the EA Common Market Protocol will certainly create more demand for judicial services win member states. Hence the sub-registries will cater for a bigger workloads and enable the EACJ to function efficiently and effectively.

EACJ Judge President Harold Nsekela also informed delegates that several milestones and development process have been achieved. He said the court expects to see and realise more tangible benefits of integration for East Africans in the coming years.

He told Burundi residents that the EACJ has abolished court fees and was in the process of gazetting its rules.

He reminded people who come to the court under Article 30 of the Treaty to respect the time limit of two months imposed for aggrieved persons to act.

The function was also witnessed by the President of the Constitutional Court of Burundi, Lady Justice Christine Nzeyimana, judges and Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Burundi Chapter, members of law institutions, media and other stake holders.

Source: The Citizen (06/03/2013): http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national-news/29383--burundi-chief-justice-pledges-support-for-regional-court