Re-opening of the Supreme Court |18 September 2007

Seychelles to set up judicial college

A virtual college known as the Judicial College of Seychelles (Jucos) aimed at planning and delivering continuous professional programmes for the judiciary as well as the legal profession is to be established here, it has been announced.

Chief Justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende made the announcement yesterday during a ceremony to mark the re-opening of Supreme Court in the 110th year of its existence here.

Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende also announced several other projects he plans to focus on during the remaining nine months of his tenure of office. These include among others streamlining, listing, processing and hearing of cases, improving court administration, measures to keep in touch with the community, making available to judges and magistrates the Electronic Grey Book on mobile media and reviewing the judiciary strategic plan for the next five years.

With regard to the Jucos, Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende said he has for some time been struggling with the challenges to come up with an appropriate concept and design of an institution that would deliver to the Seychelles judiciary, continuing professional development programmes that are relevant to their needs and the needs of the country.

“Many judiciaries of the world have created judicial education institutes with physical facilities and manned by full-time staff,” he pointed out. But he said while Seychelles definitely has the need for similar institutions regardless of its size, due to the size of the judiciary of Seychelles and the legal profession it is not feasible to go the same way.

He noted that we have been able to deliver some training for judicial officers and staff and in the last four years we have developed ad hoc programmes with the support of partners like the United States, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and support of sister judiciaries who are able to arrange their own programmes.

“We need to move from this ad hoc situation to a programmatic one with somebody responsible for planning, and delivery of continuing professional programmes for the judiciary of Seychelles as well as the legal profession. It cannot simply be left to the office of the Chief Justice alone,” he added.

He noted that the Jucos need not have buildings or full-time staff but will have an advisory board which will be responsible for its policy and programmatic development and delivery. It will be chaired by a judge of either the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal.

“We shall request a budget line for it in the judiciary budget to be able to develop and carry out its programmes. It will be responsible for determining the training needs of all the judiciary including judges and staff and how those training needs will be met,” he said, adding that its proposals will have to be approved by the chief justice and in that regard it will work closely with the chief justice to ensure the success of its work.

Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende said the judiciary will get its staff members to provide part-time support to the Jucos. It need not have physical offices as assigned tasks can be carried out effectively in current offices of those who will be associated with it, sharing other facilities in the judiciary like meeting or conference rooms etc.  Its existence will be virtual just as we have the Seychelles Legal lnformation Institute, an online portal for the laws of Seychelles.

Referring to the theme of this year’s court opening ‘The old has gone the new is here’, Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende said as we renew ourselves it is important that we are selective in what we preserve and what we discard of the old.

“In this regard there are a number of areas and one of them is the development of new rules – Mediation Rules,” he said.
“I am reviewing court fees payable to the government and costs payable between parties, both in the Magistrates and Supreme Courts, with a view to update them and make them simpler. This may involve initiating the legislative process involving the executive and the National Assembly,” he pointed out.

He said the rules relating to payment of witnesses’ expenses seem to be out of date and need to be revised.
In addition to that he said he will develop rules to make it easier and clearer as to how to proceed with contentious matters under the Proceeds of Crime (Civil Confiscation) Act, [POCA] and Habeas Corpus applications.

To address the concern that the judiciary is often way out of touch with the community it serves and has not kept abreast of the issues that are of the greatest concern to the people, Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende has announced the setting up of a National Justice Consultative Council that will be broadly representative of our society. It will have representation from the government, including all criminal and civil justice agencies, Civil Society including the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Consumers, the Legal Profession represented by the Bar Association of Seychelles, Friends of Prison Societies and our different courts.

“This body will provide a platform for the different interest groups to contribute to the development agenda and social awareness programmes for the judiciary. It will provide the judiciary with an opportunity of receiving feedbacks from the community which in effect is the best form of inspectorate over court services,” said the Chief Justice.

The climax of the reopening of the Supreme Court yesterday at the Palais de Justice also included before the Chief Justice’s address a ceremony where he inspected a guard of honour mounted by regular police officers at the entrance of the new building.

The ceremony was attended by judges, magistrates, lawyers, members of the diplomatic corps, church leaders, clerics and other court staff.