Village Court Bill passed, officials praised

VILLAGE court officials have been commended for being at the front line in maintaining law and order at community level.
Members of Parliament praised these public servants in the rural areas after Justice Minister and Attorney-General Kerenga Kua tabled the Village Court (Amendment) Bill 2013. It was unanimously passed.
It will give village court magistrates, councillors, peace and land mediators greater roles to play in their communities.
There are 1,490 village courts operating in the country, with 16,194 officials who sit as magistrates, peace officers and clerks to maintain law and order at their local levels.
Kua told the House that the National Executive Council decided last year to include these officials on the public service payroll from this year.
“It is therefore timely that we redefine the jurisdiction of the village courts and increase their roles so that while they get their salary on a fortnightly basis, we get more value for the money that we pay them.
“Village courts are the most accessible and cost effective means of justice administration.”
The new law will:
n Modernise the Village Courts Act 1989 to accommodate the change in relationships, conflicts and issues in villages and for ever increasing settlement populations migrating into urban areas with their varied ethnic and cultural heritages;
n strengthen the role of village courts in protecting rights of women and children and addressing violence;
n ensure that village courts comply with  constitutional requirements, including those protecting the rights of people accessing the courts;
n set limits to the number of officials appointed to village courts to make it manageable and cost effective and to ensure speedier processes of appointment and revocations;
n overcome ambiguity and conflict with other legislations and address other grey areas in the legislation for effective and efficient administration of village courts; and
n Clarify ministerial responsibility for the proclamation of village courts and their suspension as well for the abolishing and appointment, suspension, and revocation of village court magistrates and the chairman and deputy chairman.