The National Gender and Equality Commission’s (NGEC) Nakuru Regional Office offered free legal advice and received complaints at Nakuru Law Courts during Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) Week.
The office joined the Judiciary, the National Legal Aid Service (NLAS) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). It received complaints and referred cases to the relevant institutions for action, with particular focus on women, children, persons with disabilities, youth, and minorities and marginalised communities.
THE LIMITS OF AJS
Article 159(2)(c) of the Constitution promotes alternative dispute resolution. Article 159(3) bars its use in ways that contravene the Bill of Rights or produce outcomes repugnant to justice and morality.
Sexual offences are serious crimes. As the Judiciary has affirmed, they cannot be resolved through AJS and must be handled through the formal justice system.
EQUAL ACCESS
The Commission continues to advocate for AJS that protect dignity, participation and non-discrimination. It holds that access to justice must also mean equality in access to justice.
Members of the public who have experienced discrimination or unequal treatment can lodge a complaint at their nearest NGEC office.
