Chief Justice Martha Koome has stated that the Judiciary will set specific dates to hear child-related cases.
CJ Koome received a progress report on ongoing child justice reforms on Friday.
“Among the areas of focus are decongesting remand homes, designating specific days to hear cases involving children, and providing Judicial Officers with countrywide training on the Children Act,” Koome said.
Juliet Gachanja, a child justice advisor in the Office of the Chief Justice, and Teresia Matheka, chair of the National Council on the Administration of Justice Special Taskforce on Children Matters, presented the findings. To ensure that courts work in the best interests of children who are in conflict and contact with the law, Koome said, “We are pursuing the complete implementation of the Children Act 2022.”
Decongesting remand housing is one of the areas of concentration, according to Koome. She added that the monthly visits by station heads to the facilities housing children under their control will also be mandated.
She stated that the judiciary is committed to making sure that children’s rights and wellbeing are completely protected. Koome introduced Children’s Service Month in November 2021 with the slogan “A Justice System Fit for Children.”
She claimed that the action is a result of a commitment on the part of the judiciary and other justice-related stakeholders to increase responsiveness to children’s issues.
Koome has requested that all police stations be equipped with Child Protection Units from the county and federal governments.
By doing this, she stated, “it will be ensured that children who are in legal trouble or who have been the victims of crime have access to complete care services, including psychosocial assistance and legal aid.”