The Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Justice Martha Koome, has declared that Africa’s ambition to unlock the full benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will remain elusive unless courts across the continent deliver timely, predictable and commercially responsive judgments capable of inspiring investor confidence.

Justice Koome asserted in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges, organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute.

She argued that while governments continue to invest heavily in ports, shipping infrastructure and trade facilitation, the judiciary remains a critical but often overlooked pillar of economic transformation, insisting that no economy can attract sustainable investment without a justice system that guarantees certainty and the rule of law.

According to her, the implementation of the AfCFTA presents Africa with an unprecedented opportunity to deepen regional integration, expand intra-African trade, stimulate sustainable economic growth and lift millions of people out of poverty.

She described the maritime industry as the lifeblood of global commerce, noting that every vessel navigating African waters carries not only goods but also the hopes of millions seeking jobs, industrialisation and economic prosperity.

“Our courts are not passive observers of economic transformation; they are active enablers of economic transformation,” she said.

She explained that judicial decisions that are timely, impartial, predictable and commercially responsive reduce the cost of doing business, protect commercial relationships, strengthen legitimate expectations and reinforce the rule of law, all of which are indispensable to trade and investment.

Justice Koome further stressed that modern commercial justice must extend beyond courtroom litigation, identifying arbitration and mediation as essential dispute-resolution mechanisms capable of preserving business relationships while ensuring speedy settlement of maritime and commercial disputes.

She noted that the increasing sophistication of admiralty law, driven by technological innovation, evolving international conventions, environmental obligations and the complexity of global commerce, demands continuous judicial education and cross-border collaboration.

The Kenyan Chief Justice said seminars such as the yearly maritime forum have become indispensable platforms for judges, legal practitioners, policymakers, regulators and maritime experts to exchange ideas, share comparative jurisprudence and strengthen judicial competence.

According to her, sustained interaction among African judiciaries would not only improve the quality of maritime adjudication but also deepen public confidence in the administration of justice across the continent.

Justice Koome commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for sustaining the International Maritime Seminar for Judges over the past 18 years, describing the initiative as a remarkable achievement that has evolved into one of Africa’s leading judicial forums on maritime law.

She urged participants to use the seminar to strengthen judicial cooperation, promote excellence in maritime adjudication and advance a justice system that serves as both the guardian of rights and a catalyst for peace, regional integration and sustainable economic development.

The seminar brings together chief justices, judges, legal practitioners, maritime experts, policymakers and industry leaders from Nigeria and other jurisdictions to examine emerging issues in maritime law and strengthen the capacity of courts to address increasingly complex commercial disputes in an era of expanding regional and global trade.