Seychelles Supreme Court Judge Brassel Adeline, Commercial Court Judge Natasha Burian, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ms. Juliana Esticot, and Director for Legal Affairs, Mr. Lionel Garrick, represented the Seychelles Judiciary at the 2026 Southern and Eastern African Chief Justices’ Forum (SEACJF) hosted at the Hotel Verde in Zanzibar.
Held under the theme “Transforming Justice Delivery: Innovation, Efficiency, and Court Administration Reform,” the forum provides a platform for judicial leaders and stakeholders to engage on approaches to modernising justice delivery, improving court efficiency and strengthening court administration.
The forum is held in partnership with the Chandler Institute and the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit.
As explained by the Chandler Institute, “Across Africa, the demand for justice is growing faster than any court system can expand. Even as judicial output rises, backlogs continue to lengthen in the face of finite judges, courtrooms and sitting days. For many citizens, these constraints place formal adjudication beyond reach.”
Most disputes are already being resolved outside of courtrooms, but what remains is to ensure that resolutions happen fairly, safely and enforceably under the authority of the courts.
In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Chandler Institute Executive Director, Ron Chari, argued that trust is the foundation of national prosperity. He compared it to a stool that rests on three legs. The first is national integrity: how citizens, companies and institutions value truth, honesty and transparency. The second is government competence, because governments must work efficiently to deliver for their people. The third is the rule of law, meaning just laws applied impartially. If one leg is weak, the stool can’t stand. Judiciaries are central to the third leg, and they shape public trust in the other two.
During the weeklong conference, a session chaired by Chief Justice George Masaju of Tanzania looked at court-annexed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a transformative tool for justice delivery.
Speaking alongside Ron Chari on the panel were the Hon. Justice Meaza Ashenafi, Former Chief Justice of Ethiopia; the Hon. Justice MUTABAZI Harrison, Judge of the High Court, Inspector of Courts and Judicial Spokesperson of Rwanda; the Hon. Justice Andrew Khaukha of Uganda; and the Hon. Justice Richard Mwongo, Judge of the High Court of Kenya.
Towards the end of the sessions, Seychelles Supreme Court Judge Adeline shared some of his insights on the subjects presented, including what Seychelles has achieved so far and what more can be done.
As a side event to the forum, Ms. Esticot and Mr. Garrick also attended the Annual General Meeting of the Judicial Administrators Association, which brings together judicial administration professionals to discuss matters relevant to the effective management and administration of courts.