Embrace Alternative Justice System, residents told
The Eldoret Chief Magistrate Hon. Justice Dennis Mikoyan has appealed to residents of Uasin Gishu County to embrace the Alternative Justice System (AJS).
Speaking during the AJS sensitization forum by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) at the RCEA grounds in Eldoret, Hon. Justice Mikoyan said the AJS is very instrumental in reducing the case backlog in the Kenyan courts.
“I joined Eldoret law courts in November 2021, and there was a backlog of 22,000 cases, 2 years later we are now at 18,000. We need to embrace AJS to enable use reduce this backlog,” said Justice Mikoyan.
“The AJS incorporates cultural norms and values, which ensures a sense of cultural relevance while resolving conflicts, and when we merge the efforts of formal courts and AJS, a more holistic approach to justice can be achieved.”
AJS offers unique approaches to conflict resolution, focusing on restoration, community engagement, and cultural relevance, and is an alternative avenue for conflict resolution at the grassroots level alongside the formal legal system.
The forum was organized under the Wadada wa Pawa project being implemented by NCCK in partnership with UN Women, and is aimed at sensitizing the residents of Uasin-Gishu County on the advantages of AJS, types of AJS, and why they ought to embrace Alternative Justice System of dispute resolution.
