Mobilizing the public for active participation and contribution has been identified as a key move in spearheading timely delivery of court decisions and restoration of public confidence in the justice sector in Meru County.
Presiding over the official launch of the Court Users Committee (CUC), Meru Chapter, the Environment and Land court Presiding Judge, Justice Charles Yano said the composition of the committee had the potential of delivering on the core mandate towards quality service delivery to all by the justice sector.
Justice Yano said the committee had an obligation to enhance access to justice and information through direct engagement with relevant stakeholders in the process of administering justice whether within or outside the court stations in the region.
“Going forward, all members are equal in making the CUC a success in Meru County, where individual members were expected to directly interact with the public in their areas of jurisdiction for purposes of advocating for justice for all,” Justice Yano said.
The Presiding Judge said land-related matters were very emotive in many communities and Meru was not an exemption, adding that most of the cases finding their way into the lowest and highest courts were as a result of unresolved disagreements among family members, immediate neighbours and to a larger extent neighbouring community belonging to different counties and countries.
He was optimistic that the committee had the capacity to move with speed in developing public activity programmes through which the public could interact with members and other players in the justice sector for hands on sensitization on the constitutional right to shout out against any form of delayed or denied justice at all levels in the community.
Justice Yano reminded the members that they were expected to solicit and consolidate resources in support of public capacity building at the community level away from the court stations.
“Reaching out to the public out of the courts is likely to provide a people-friendly environment where people can freely give their views and opinions on how justice was administered within their areas,” Justice Yano said.
Justice Yano reiterated that the government was focused on utilizing available resources and channels in support of transforming the justice system to accommodate people of all walks of life without any form of discrimination or intimidation, adding that Kenyans were equal as entrenched in the constitution.
He said the committee would immediately embark on a fact-finding mission across the county before generating a working programme, guided by areas of priority in relation to administering justice to all.
The launch was graced by Meru High Court Presiding Judge Justice Edward Muriithi who said land-related matters formed the bulk of community problems in Meru County, as most of the people facing murder, assault among other criminal charges at the high court were in pursuit of individual, family or community land ownership.
“This committee is expected to assist the justice system to successfully reduce cases finding their way in the high court through sensitizing the public on the benefits of embracing the alternative dispute resolution option of amicably settling disagreements and disputes,” Justice Muriithi said.
