Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome has highlighted Green Justice as one of the strategic priorities the Judiciary is implementing in order to achieve the ultimate goal of attaining a people-centred justice system in the country.
Speaking during the Judiciary’s Annual Development Partners Briefing held in Nairobi on Monday, the CJ revealed that the Judiciary has launched the ‘Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya’s Justice System’, to guide efforts to incorporate environmental sustainability into the operations and decisions of agencies within the justice sector.
“We are aligning the operations of court stations, particularly in remote areas, with sustainable practices, such as getting them alternative off-grid sources of power, including solar power,” Koome observed.
While addressing participants, who included Ambassadors, Heads of Missions, and representatives of Development Partner Agencies who support the Judiciary, the CJ appreciated their efforts, noting that the Judiciary is grossly underfunded, and yet it is a public service that should be accessible to all citizens conveniently across the country.
She cited digitisation as one of the areas the institution will require collaboration with development partners to enhance access to justice.
Further, Koome highlighted achievements such as the rollout of e-filing countrywide, virtual courts, digitising of court records, and the piloting of a National Transcription Centre as being the game changers in leveraging technology to enhance access to justice while cutting the cost and inconvenience on the part of justice seekers.
However, the CJ decried the reduction of the Judiciary budget, which in turn reduces the ICT budget, particularly during a critical time for the Judiciary where these revolutionary ICT gains need to be secured, strengthened, and expanded to benefit all Kenyans.
“We remain engaged with the other arms of government, emphasising the importance of adequate funding for the Judiciary to enable optimal functioning and ensure that all Kenyans can access justice, a right enshrined in our Constitution,” she maintained.
Other Judiciary initiatives highlighted during the meeting include the establishment of 12 Gender Justice Courts in areas identified as SGBV hotspots to ensure trauma-responsive and efficient justice for victims of SGBV and Children Courts to ensure a children-friendly justice system has been established and expanded.
While welcoming donor support to help roll out Small Claims Courts countrywide, the CJ disclosed that these specialised courts have been rolled out in commercial centres and border towns where the Judiciary is supporting Small and Medium Enterprises by providing quick resolutions to commercial disputes.
On increasing court footprint across the country as guided by the Constitution, Koome insisted that the Judiciary has made considerable progress in expanding access to justice by establishing High Courts in 46 out of 47 counties, but challenges remain, particularly in establishing Magistrate Courts in all 290 constituencies.
“Currently, only 139 constituencies have Magistrates’ Courts, leaving over 151 constituencies without a court. This represents an area where we can collaborate further to address the justice gap facing these communities,” she added.
On the fight against corruption, the CJ termed corruption as ‘one of the persistent challenges that has hindered the realisation of Kenya’s potential’.
Additionally, Koome hinted that a Guiding Framework on Anti-Corruption is in the final stages of finalisation by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) and urged development partners, to join and support its implementation, once launched, in order to have a united front in the critical fight against corruption.
The CJ affirmed that through the implementation of the Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint, the Judiciary has made significant strides in establishing a people-centred justice system that is accessible, efficient, and responsive to the justice needs of all Kenyans.
Koome noted that by working together with Development Partners, the Judiciary can develop transformative and innovative solutions that contribute not only to Kenya’s social development but also to the achievement of the strategic goals of the partners’ missions and organisations.
She invited the Partners to continue partnering with the Judiciary in the pursuit of SDG 16 and the broader goals of democracy and the rule of law.
By Michael Omondi
