The Chief Justice, Prof. Sam Rugege, called on magistrates and judges from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to upholdthe rule of law and promote access to justice in the region.

He was opening a two-day training and council meeting of East African Magistrates and Judges Association (EAMJA) in Kigali, on Thursday.

The meeting brought together judicial officers to discuss the plea of bargaining and the interpretation of constitutional provisions of the member states, among others.

Prof. Rugege commended the EAMJA efforts for building members’ capacity but urged them to deeply discuss constitutional issues.

"This is the right time to discuss constitutional issues. We have noticed that the Burundian constitutional court was recently put in a very difficult position, having to interpret the constitution on a very controversial and politically sensitive issue, but the decision was not enthusiastically received by all citizens,” he said.

"Sometimes we are exposed to such issues and we must be ready to confront them courageously when they come to our jurisdiction,” he added.

Prof. Rugege added that judges must have knowledge and experiences to be able to make the decisions which are based on the law and supportive of peace in the country.

Prof. Rugege also lauded the idea of plea bargaining, saying it has especially been relevant in Rwanda’s case.

"Plea bargaining is very important because it can reduce the backlogs in the courts and Rwanda experienced that in Gacaca jurisdiction because the criminals who confessed their crimes received a reduction on the penalties,” he said.

 Lawrence Gidudu, the president of EAMJA, said the training workshop was intended to empower the council members with knowledge and experiences in order to manage their judicial functions, effectively.

"We add value to our work by sharing experiences and learning from one another,” Gidudu said.

He added that the EAC Treaty compels member states to harmonise their laws in order to facilitate cross-border trade, employment and free movement of people.

 The EAMJA offers a platform for judicial practitioners to enhance their career, protect the rule of law and harmonise judicial systems.

 The council meeting was prelude to the EAMJA annual general meeting to be held in Tanzania, in August 2015.

 With over 400 members at the moment, the EAMJA was founded in 2000 with Rwanda joining in 2010 while Burundi is yet to join.