East African Court of Justice, Dodoma, Tanzania, 31st January, 2024: The Judge President Hon. Justice Nestor Kayobera, together with the Principal Judge Hon. Justice Yohane Masara and the Deputy Registrar, Ms. Christine Mutimura, joined the Judiciary of Tanzania to mark the Tanzania Law Week in Dodoma, Tanzania,
The 2024 Tanzania Law Week was marked by various events that included the High Level Judicial Symposium on Financial Crimes and the Annual Law Day, where Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan was the Guest of Honour.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan in her statement to mark the Tanzania Law Day, commended the judiciary for reducing its case backlog and emphasized the importance of the Judiciary upholding Article 107 (a) subsection (2) (a-e) of the Tanzanian Constitution by prioritising justice for all through expeditious justice dispensation and adopting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms like Arbitration to uphold peace and attract investments.
In addition, President Samia President Samia highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen the performance of the courts by constructing modern integrated justice centres and increasing the number of workers when the budget allows. “The number of Court of Appeal judges has increased from 16 in 2021 to 35 judges in 2023, an increase of 118 per cent. In the same period, the number of high court judges has increased from 63 to 105, and resident judges from 1,098 to 1,146,” she said.
While officiating the High-Level judicial symposium, the Chief Justice of Tanzania Hon. Prof. Ibrahim Juma appealed for collective efforts, notably international and regional cooperation in fighting against financial crimes. The Chief Justice emphasized the crucial role of the judiciary in strengthening the effectiveness of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism regimes. His Lordship the Chief Justice , further pointed out that, while members of the executive and legislative arms of the government share information with their regional and global counterparts, members of the judiciary rarely access information on the dangers posed by financial crimes. “We must come out of this high-level judicial symposium understanding that national judiciaries and the law enforcement agencies cannot remain isolated and confined within national boundaries and laws, Cross-border international and regional cooperation is inevitable in fighting against financial crimes, which disguise their illegal origin,” said the Chief Justice.
Speaking on the same occasion, the British High Commissioner, His Excellency David Concar commended the initiative by Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan, to establish a Commission and a committee to deliver ambitious program of criminal justice reform. The British High Commissioner was pleased that through the UK’s security and justice programming, they are supporting the preliminary work of the Presidential Committee.
During the high-level judicial symposium, participants shared experiences on diverse issues and the topics discussed include;
- Globalization and International Dimensions on Money Laundering/ Terrorism Financing/Proliferation Financing Policies: Tanzania Experience.
- Examination of Quantitative and Qualitative Dimensions of Money Laundering/ Terrorism Financing/Proliferation Financing in Tanzania.
- Challenges in Tackling Money Laundering/ Terrorism Financing/Proliferation Financing.
- Assessment of the Effectiveness of Confiscation Regime in Tackling Financial Crimes.
Other participants in attendance were the Chief Justice of Zanzibar Hon. Khamis Ramadhan Abdalla, the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Hon. Lady Justice Iman Aboud, Judges and other Judicial Office from the Judiciary of Tanzania, key stakeholders in the justice sector eco-system and development partners of the Judiciary of Tanzania.
About the EACJ
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the Organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. The Court was established in November 2001, its key mandate is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty. Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the capitals of the following Partner States: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and The United Republic of Tanzania.
For more information please contact:
Christine Mutimura
Deputy Registrar,
East African Court of Justice.
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: 255-27-2162149
Email: cmwekesa@eachq.org