Appointed Judge to the International Criminal Court (ICC): January 2009.
Appointed Judge of Appeal: December 2007
Appointed Judge of High Court: 1993

Hon. Justice Joyce Aluoch joined the Kenyan Judiciary as a District Magistrate II (Prof.) in 1974 and rose through the ranks of the Magistracy until 1993 when she was appointed as a Judge of the High Court. Her many years of dedicated service made her the most Senior Judge of the High Court until her appointment as a Judge of Appeal in December of 2007. 

Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch

Among her contributions to the administration of justice was the establishment of the Family Division of the High Court for which she became the Inaugural Head.  She simplified litigation in Family Law matters, making it affordable and expeditious.  During her tenure on the bench, Justice Aluoch has effectively handled civil, criminal, commercial and family law cases.  She exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction.

In 2003 Justice Aluoch was elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child where she serves as the Vice-Chairperson.  She had previously been elected the first Chairperson of the African Union Committee on the Rights of the Child in the year 2001.  In that capacity, she addresses Heads of State and Governments of the African Union every year at the Annual Summit on the situation of children in Africa.  This affords her an opportunity to engage African Heads of States and Government in dialogue with a view to finding solutions to the problems facing the African child such as the use of children as soldiers, child labour and the effect of HIV/AIDS on children.

Justice Aluoch has had extensive training in human rights law through the Jurisprudence of Equality Programme run jointly by the International Association of Women Judges and Kenya Women Judges’ Association of which she is the Chairperson.  She also trained in Humanitarian Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002.  She facilitates the programme which trains Judges and Magistrates in Human rights Law.

Justice Aluoch’s community service role through the Girl Guides Movement in Kenya has helped to develop the Peer Prevention Programme for Young People, a programme for HIV/AIDS prevention among the youth, which has been adopted in many African countries.

We at The African Executive Magazine join other Africans in congratulating Lady Justice Aluoch following her appointment to the Hague.