Arusha, 5 September 2012: The East African Court of Justice will Friday 7 September 2012 launch a sub-registry in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The opening of the Dar es Salaam EACJ Sub-registry follows a decision of the Council of Ministers that the Court opens sub-registries in all Partner States. The commissioning of the sub-registry, the second in the region, follows the Kigali one which was launched on 10 August. It will be followed by similar launches in Kampala, Nairobi and Bujumbura.

With the opening of these sub-registries, litigants will no longer be required to travel to Arusha to file their claims. Instead, claims will be filed at an EACJ local sub-registry, which will handle the necessary transmission and communication details.

“The opening of the Dar es Salaam Sub-registry makes the Court’s services more easily accessible and affordable to the vast majority of Tanzania residents,” says the EACJ Judge President Hon. Justice Harold Nsekela.

He adds that the Sub-registry has been equipped to start operations, with a full-time Court clerk recruited to operate it, and further notes that the Court will work closely with Tanzania’s Ministry of East African Cooperation to raise public awareness. The EACJ sub-registry in Tanzania will be based at the Court of Appeal premises in Dar es Salaam.

The President called upon all stakeholders including the Tanzanian legal fraternity including Bar associations, the business community, academic institutions and other interested persons to make use of the EACJ sub-registry in Dar es Salaam.

About the East African Court of Justice

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. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.

Any person who is resident in an EAC Partner State may refer for determination by the East African Court of Justice, the legality of any Act, directive, decision or action of a Partner State or an Institution of the Community on the grounds that such Act, regulation, directive or action is unlawful or is an infringement of the Treaty and proceedings are instituted within two months of the act complained of or of the day in which it came to his/her knowledge. The Court also has arbitration jurisdiction.

Decisions of the Court on the interpretation and application of the Treaty take precedence over decisions of national courts on a similar matter.

For more information please contact:

Prof. John Ruhangisa, Registrar
Email: ruhangisa@eachq.org

Ms. Geraldine Umugwaneza, Deputy Registrar
Email: umugwaneza@eachq.org

Owora Richard Othieno, Head of Department;
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs;
EAC Secretariat
Tel: +255 784 835021; Email: othieno@eachq.org

East African Court of Justice
Arusha, Tanzania
https://www.eacj.org/