Nairobi: The Judiciary on Friday observed the National Judiciary Dialogue Day (NJDD) at the Nairobi City County Law Court, at an event presided over by Senior Principal Magistrate Rhoda Yator. Speaking during the event, Yator said that the day is dedicated to engaging the public and raising awareness about court processes.
According to Kenya News Agency, Yator commended Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome for her commitment to ensuring that NJDD is observed across the country. She noted that CJ Koome’s focus on NJDD aimed to foster interaction between the judiciary and the public, allowing stakeholders to better understand judicial processes while enabling judicial officers and staff to receive public feedback on improving judicial operations.
‘Through these engagements, we aim to strengthen stakeholder relationships and enhance interaction during the upcoming sessions,’ she noted. She reiterated that the judiciary, through its open-door policy, is ready to listen to the public and share ideas on judicial practices to serve the interests of citizens better.
‘We are prepared to share ideas on best practices to better serve you, reduce backlog, and enhance service delivery to meet Wanjiku’s needs, ensuring that we do so without any delays,’ she said. Yator applauded the judiciary for the rollout of the e-filing system, which has eased the case filing procedures and ensured that Nairobi City County law courts are adequately staffed in an effort to serve the public efficiently.
‘All cases are now registered through the digital filing system, eliminating the need for paper documents. As long as you have the necessary equipment, such as a laptop or desktop, you can easily register the processes,’ she commented. She also mentioned that Nairobi County law courts have begun handling criminal cases, whereas previously, they only dealt with offenses related to county matters, such as issues involving hawkers in the city’s Central Business District (CBD).
‘We handle all matters related to county offenses across Nairobi County; all such cases are brought here. Additionally, starting last month, we also began handling criminal cases,’ said Yator, noting that the city courts have jurisdiction over all cases except those involving the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
Making her remarks, Principal Magistrate Nairobi County Law Courts Georgina Opakasi championed the corporate vision of the judiciary that promotes accountability, equality, inclusivity, protecting the vulnerable in society, and social transformation through access to justice as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution. ‘At the end of the day, the services we provide are for the people, not for ourselves. If we are not engaging, having conversations, collaborating with various stakeholders, and cooperating, it will be difficult for us to achieve the justice we are striving for,’ said Opakasi.
She stated that National Judiciary Dialogue Day is essential for raising public awareness of the judiciary’s role in ensuring justice is accessed and delivered swiftly and effectively.