Africa Judges and Jurists Forum welcomes the appointment of Chief Justice Emeritus of the Republic of Kenya, Dr Willy Mutunga, as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Africa Judicial Independence Fund. Chief Justice Emeritus, Dr Willy Mutunga is the President of Africa Judges and Jurists Forum’s Judicial Elders Council. Hosted within Afrobarometer, the purpose of the fund is to defend and promote the independence of judges, including by providing them with protection when they face persecution as retribution for their impartiality. The fund was launched on 18 July 2024 in Accra, Ghana. Commenting on this momentous development, the Secretary General of Africa Judges and Jurists Forum, Advocate Martin Masiga said:
“Persecution of judicial officers as retribution for their impartiality is increasingly becoming one of the major threats against democracy in Africa and the world over. Since 2016, the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum have been engaging various stakeholders lobbying for the establishment of a fund that can be accessed by judicial officers whenever they are experiencing harassment and other forms of persecution. We are delighted to see these engagements resulting in the establishment of this Fund.”
From 28 to 29 April 2016, the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum in collaboration with its partners convened a meeting of judges and jurists who adopted the Monomotapa Plan of Action, which amongst others called upon stakeholders to “Motivate for the establishment of a legal judicial fund to protect judicial officers in distress or [who] are being persecuted in Africa”.
Africa Judges and Jurists Forum is a network of eminent retired Chief Justices, judges, and jurists from across the continent of Africa, who are committed to promoting the rule of law as means for achieving the developmental aspirations outlined under the African Union Agenda 2063.
For more information:
Martin Okumu-Masiga, Secretary General of AJJF, email: okumu-masiga@africajurists.org , mobile: +256 753 954 308, Twitter: @mokumas
Dr. Justice Alfred Mavedzenge, Programs Director, email: justice-mavedzenge@africajurists.org, mobile: +27 79 388 9990, Twitter: @Dr_JAMavedzenge
Twitter @AfricanJurists, Website https://africajurists.org/ FB- Africa Judges and Jurists Forum.
Elizabeth Oriakhogba, Legal Advisor, AJJF, email: elizabeth.oriakhogba@africajurists.org
mobile: +234 813 128 8602, Twitter: @Leezy_O