Access to Justice before the East African Court of Justice

Examining the Rules and the Procedure

Abstract

The present East African Community (EAC) is one of the strongest regional economic communities in Africa with a significant history. The EAC came into being following lessons learned from the de facto EAC which, was established in 1967, and collapsed in 1977. Currently, the EAC is comprised of six partner states, namely, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Uganda.2 To date, the implementation of the objectives of the EAC is done through established organs and institutions of the community like the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).3 This article examines “access to justice” before the EACJ with special focus on the rules of procedure of the court, the role and mandate of the Court in administration of Justice to the East African Community (EAC) Partner States and challenges facing the court.