Chief Justice Martha Koome has urged justice sectors and stakeholders across Africa to collaborate and eradicate transnational organised crimes.
These crimes include human trafficking, illegal arms dealing, narcotics trade, wildlife poaching and trafficking and counterfeiting.
With transnational crimes, the Chief Justice noted, comes money laundering and terrorism financing.
"When it comes to transnational organised crimes, it doesn't matter how countries are well-organised. We can never succeed until we work together," she said.
Koome spoke on Tuesday during the opening of the Africa Regional Dialogue on Adjudicating Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Financial Flows in Mombasa.
The judicial members will deliberate on the challenges, which have not only confronted judicial systems but also the economic and political stability of nations.
Koome said they had come up with two causes of action to fight the challenges.
"One, no nation can combat these crimes alone. Indeed the very nature of transnational crimes means they wouldn't respect our bodies," she explained.
"Two, our traditional methods of law enforcement and adjudication need to evolve to enable our justice systems to effectively combat these crimes."
Comparing justice to love, Koome said it has no boundaries.
"Justice has no boundaries so we do not care the kind of system that is applicable in any country, for us we are joined together because we are all seeking justice for our people," she said.
The Chief Justice further said the vices not only pose a threat to the continent's governance structures but also to its economies and social fabric.
"This is a matter that truly requires our cooperation and coordination as countries in Africa," she added.
Koome regretted that the most vulnerable in society are left to bear the hit of the aforesaid crimes.
The money generated from transnational crimes, the Chief Justice said, fuels corruption, undermines governance and erodes the rule of law, whilst threatening the stability of region.
According to the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), illicit financial flows from developing countries sum to an annual value of approximately US$1.1 trillion.
This flow, Koome noted, is done hand in hand with crimes like tax evasion, bribery, fraud and embezzling.
"Illicit financial flows facilitate the accumulation of wealth and power by criminal networks and corrupt public officials," she added.
The symposium has hosted Judges, Judicial Officers, Judiciary Training Institutes and stakeholders from 21 African countries.
Among the organisations present include the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).
Also attending are representatives of the EU Global Facility on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism in East, Southern, Central Africa and Yemen (AML- CFT -ESCAY).
The three-day meeting will end on Thursday, October 5.
