At the Supreme Court, President Diomaye Faye announced the creation of a committee to implement the recommendations of the recent justice meetings, while calling for a more humane, accessible and efficient justice system. The Senegalese head of state also insisted on the balance between respect for the right to strike and the preservation of essential public services, emphasizing the crucial place of justice in social stability and national cohesion.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye chaired the solemn ceremony for the return of courts and tribunals on Thursday, announcing a series of major justice reforms and strengthened supervision of the right to strike.
In his speech to the Supreme Court, the Head of State confirmed the establishment of a committee responsible for materializing the recommendations resulting from the recent judicial meetings, organized at the start of his mandate. These meetings, which brought together all socio-professional actors, aim to “ humanize the face of justice » and « make the public service of justice more efficient ».
Faye insisted on the need to “ bringing justice closer to the people » and to open up the judicial world « to questioning, questioning, changes and modernization ”, warning against “ the temptation of being alone and withdrawing ».
Framework for the right to strike
Concerning the right to strike, a central theme of this judicial re-entry, the president announced the development of legal reforms aimed at clarifying the conditions for exercising this right in strategic sectors. While reaffirming the fundamental nature of the right to strike, guaranteed by the Constitution and international conventions, he stressed the need to exercise it “ in compliance with the conditions set by the grantor ».
The Head of State recalled that this right must “not neither infringe on freedom of work, nor endanger the business or essential public services “. Arbitration and mediation mechanisms will be strengthened to prevent social conflicts.
A major reform of legal aid has been announced with a bill and a decree in preparation. This reform aims to go beyond the current framework, based on a simple memorandum of understanding from 2005, to extend legal aid to victims and civil cases, while it is currently limited to defendants in criminal matters.
-The president addressed the urgency of unblocking access to the legal profession, frozen for almost four years. He called on the Bar to quickly organize, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, the preparatory courses and the aptitude exam for the legal profession, in accordance with UEMOA community standards.
National cohesion
In a more political message, President Faye mentioned the period 2021-2024, calling for this “ recent history » does not occur again. He emphasized the importance of justice as “ ultimate guarantor of social stability », insisting on the role of judges who must “ speak the law without giving in to injustice ».
The government led by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko is committed to strengthening dialogue frameworks between workers, employers and public authorities, an approach presented as essential for the success of the Senegal 2050 National Transformation Agenda.
At the end of this ceremony, which marks the opening of the 2025 judicial year, President Faye reaffirmed his commitment to “ a Senegal of freedom, a Senegal of justice, a Senegal of prosperity “, calling for the construction of a country “ where everyone’s rights are expressed, while respecting the general interest ».
AC/SF/APA
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