African Judicial Leaders Accentuate Africa’s Independent Judiciary

April/05 | am:10:56 / No Comments 317 views

Khartoum – The first ever conference of Africa’s chief and supreme courts judges kicked off in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum today

with the participation of 34 countries in addition to representatives of India, China and Indonesia.
The Sunday’s African Chiefs of Justice’s conference held in Khartoum, graced by the President Al Bashir and draw participants from more than 40 African countries was aimed at documenting the experiment of the independence of Sudanese judiciary over years – in respect of constitution, legislations, finance and administration.
Al Bashir: the Independence of Sudanese judiciary and fairness speaks for itself
President Al Bashir lashed out at the International Criminal Tribunal as a colonial tool serving western political agenda. He also called for an alternative African mechanism for solving regional disputes and combating money laundering, terrorism, extremism and illegal migration, accusing the ICC of “fabrications and politicization”, in a reference to the recent UN calls for the arrest of President Al Bashir in accordance with ICC’s warrant for allegedly war crimes in Darfur.
“Your conference reflects the African stance which is committed to justice. It represents a Africa’s strong message that the continent is capable of changing the stereotype image drawn by the colonial media,” said Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir in his address to the opening session of the conference.

Anti-terrorism pledge

Al Bashir vowed to combat all forms of terrorism money laundering, work for enhancing human rights, renouncing violence, and seeking democracy to arrive at peaceful power sharing and good governance.
He said Sudan represents a bridge of communication between Africa and the Middle East, and has contributed to strengthening Afro-Arab solidarity.
He added that Sudan has recovered from conflicts and making steady steps toward peace and stability; a reference to the national dialogue that produced a document, which he described as laying a general framework for the state’s program binding on all people of Sudan from different walks of life.
The President commended the independence and fairness of Sudanese judiciary, calling on opponents to the national dialogue to join the document and strenuous efforts his government is exerting to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable peace across the country to put an ultimate end to fighting.
Al Bashir said in his speech that it has been revealed to Africa that the ICC is nothing but a politicized tool, which prompted the decision of the AU for a collective exit from the court.

Challenges to Africa

He further admitted that Africa is still faced with mounting challenges manifested in foreign interventions targeting its diverse natural riches, using double-standard policy to accuse and calls for trying its leaders.  Al Bashir described the African judges’ conference in Khartoum as setting the beginning of African wake call expressing commitment to justice in face of foreign conspiracies; in addition to sending a strong message that Africa can change a stereotype created by colonial media.
The forum, which drew participants from 40 African nations, highlighted four major topics, namely the African experience in conflict resolution through alternative means, independence of the judiciary under the African experiences, the judicial system and means of its development and transnational crimes. Attendees were representatives of 40 African countries and China, India and Indonesia participated as monitors.

Sudanese judicial system

As Known the Judicial Authority is responsible for judiciary, courts, the state and administering justice, and settlement of disputes. The Judiciary has been noted for its independence throughout of the country’s history and different successive government systems over the past; including different constitutions that have been crafted for governing the country. The Sudanese Judiciary has also transferred its accumulated experiments and experiences to friendly countries.
The court system includes regular courts (both criminal and civil), special security courts, military courts, and tribal courts. The chief justice of the Supreme Court, as the senior judge, presides over the judiciary and according to the 1973 constitution, is directly responsible to the president through a council headed by the president. Civil justice is administered by the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and lower courts, while criminal justice is administered by major courts, magistrates’ courts, and local people’s courts.
Sudan Chief Justice: the conference refutes allegations about in Secure Sudan
In his remarks, the Sudanese Chief Justice Haider Ahmed Dafa’allah underscored the importance of the establishment of alternative African Tribunal to avert any foreign interventions in pure African issues, adding that hosting African Judicial Leaders conference in Khartoum refutes all allegations about insecurity and instability in Sudan.
His Hon. Dafa’allah noted that Sudan is qualified for leading establishment of pan-African justice system depending on its accumulated and pioneering experience, adding that the event was an opportunity for African chiefs of justice to debate issues of common concern and challenges to the continent. He hoped that the conference would come up with recommendations to combat human trafficking as well as trans-border crimes