East Africa Law Society calls on States to uphold rule of law

KIGALI, RWANDA:  Regional lawyers have called on States to uphold the Rule of Law as Rwanda marks 20 years after a Genocide that left nearly one million dead.

The lawyers attending the East Africa Law Society (EALS) Annual Conference in Kigali also said State excesses must be checked towards ensuring democracy.

The EALS President James Aggrey Mwamu said that lawyers in the region must keep Governments in check towards stability.
“We must ensure that the Rule of Law is upheld and State excesses are checked towards ensuring democracy and stability in the region,” Mr. Mwamu said.

The EALS President said that Rwanda must be emulated following its rapid growth 20 years after a genocide that left nearly one million people dead.

The theme of the two day Annual Conference and General Meeting that has attracted over 1,000 lawyers from the region is Advancing the Legal Profession in East Africa: Trends and Patterns.

Rwanda Chief Justice Prof. Sam Rugege urged the East African Community (EAC) to play their parts as detailed under the EAC Treaty.

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The Chief Justice also called on regional Governments to respect decisions by the East Africa Court of Justice (EACJ) that sits in Arusha, Tanzania.

“We must ensure that constitutions, laws, conventions and treaties are not breached towards upholding the Rule of Law,” Prof. Rugege said.

The Chief Justice said that Rwanda is committed to ensuring a prosperous regional integration and encouraged EAC partner States to follow suit.

Prof. Rugege encouraged States in the region to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods in settling disputes towards faster resolutions.

“ADR methods which include arbitration, conciliation and mediation should be embraced towards maintaining good relations among disputing parties,” Prof. Rugege said.

Rwanda Attorney General (AG) Johnson Busingye said that Rwanda has come from far and still traveling.
“We have come from far as a country and still traveling as the healing and rebuilding journey is still long ahead,” Mr. Busingye said.

The AG said that the Rwandan community died once and resurrected, which he equated to Christians in the Bible.
“We must uphold the Rule of Law as a country and succeed like the biblical Christians,” the AG said.

He urged lawyers in the country to strive and interrogate domestic laws that may be in consistent with community laws.