The Judges and Staff of the COMESA Court of Justice are participating in a four-day training on legal and legislative drafting, which is being facilitated by the East African Law Society Institute. This workshop is being held from the 10th to 13th July 2024 in Livingstone, Zambia.  

The workshop was officially opened by the Principal Judge of the Court, Honourable Lady Justice Qinisile Mabuza, who spoke on behalf of the Judge President, Honourable Lady Justice Lombe Chibesakunda. Remarks were also made by Honourable Justice (Rtd) Dr Fauz Twaib, President of the East African Law Society. The facilitator of the workshop was Dr Johnson Okoth Okello, the Africa Region Representative to the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel.

The objective of the training is to ensure that legal instruments developed or reviewed by the Court are compliant with the best practice in legislative drafting; as well as to equip Judges with drafting skills that they may use when adjudicating or offering advisory opinions on matters that touch on statutory interpretation.

The training is essential as the Court seeks to remain abreast and adaptable to new
developments in legislative drafting as they adjudicate matters concerning the interpretation and application of the COMESA Treaty and in the development of rules and other legislative instruments for the effective operations of the Court.