THE JURISPRUDENCE OF EQUALITY PROGRAM - (JEP)

A. INTRODUCTION

The Jurisprudence of Equality Programme is a project “designed to prepare judges to apply international, regional and national Human Rights norms to cases coming before them in their national and local courts including gender based discrimination and violence.”

This project was formally begun in 1995 under the auspices of the International Women Judges Foundation. A pilot project was first held in Costa Rica, the Philippines and Romania. Other projects were conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay. In Africa the project has been conducted in Easter and Southern Africa, namely South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The African Regional coordinating office is based in Uganda. (That office co-ordinates the various programmes as outlined below). The East African Judicial Training Committee consisting of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have also adapted this programme as part of their training curriculum.

B HOW THE PROGRAMME WORKS

The Programme has four components:-
1. The Establishment of a Task Force
2. Training the Trainers
3. The Workshop
4. The Follow-up Programme

1. The Task Force
In each country, a Task Force is set up that is charged with administering all operational aspects of the project. This Task Force is responsible in selecting a two members team (composed of a judge, a legal academic or an NGO advocate).

2. Training the Trainers
The two members are then sent to a “Workshop to Train Trainers” (The Workshop is currently known as the 3T Workshop). The 3T Workshop prepares the training team to conduct Human Rights Seminars in their respective countries.

These Workshops are conducted once a year for a period of three years. Each year, two more new trainers are selected to conduct the two Workshops in their given year.

After the training, the trainers conduct the main JEP Workshops using a curriculum relevant to the circumstances of their country but as far as possible in line with the training material.

3. Follow-up Programme
At the end of each project year, the Task Force and the training team will conduct a follow-up meeting with the “JEP” participants in their respective countries. The purpose of this follow-up programme is to review the curriculum where there may be legal changes, to discuss the way in which the participants have applied the training and to elicit suggestions on ways to improve the curriculum.

C THE KENYA REPORT

1. Year 2000/2001
Trainers: a) Hon Lady Justice Sara Ondeyo
b) Scholastica Omondi
c) Praxedes Wekesa (later)

The training was conducted in Entebbe. The two were amongst eight selected judges and magistrates from Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

They successfully conducted two training sessions in the year 2001.

Observers a) Hon. Lady Justice Solomy Bassa
Judge, High Court of Uganda
b) Hon. Lady Justice Nathalie Kimaro
Judge, High Court of Tanzania.

2. Year 2001/2002
Trainers a) Hon. Mr. Justice Philip Waki
b) Praxedes Tororey

The training was conducted in Entebbe. The two trainers successfully conducted two Workshops in the year 2002.

Observers a) Dr. Lillian Tibatemwa-EKirikubinza
Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, Makerere University

3. Year 2002/2003
Trainers a) Hon. Mr. Justice Vitalis J. Juma
b) Betty Asuna

Workshops still to be held.

Next >>