Kenyan Chief Justice Introduces Green Justice System: Petty Offenders to Plant Trees Instead of Prison Time
Chief Justice Martha Koome has introduced a novel approach to sentencing minor offenders, shifting away from incarceration towards a more environmentally beneficial method: planting trees.
Koome disclosed that the Judiciary is actively pursuing the establishment of a Green Justice System, aligning with the nation’s goal of planting over a billion trees in the coming years.
Addressing a tree planting event in Nanyuki, Koome emphasized the Judiciary’s view of this alternative as a strategic move to advance the Climate Agenda within the nation.
According to Koome, individuals convicted of minor offenses will now be tasked with engaging in environmental and climate-focused activities within public institutions, such as tree planting, cleaning, and maintenance tasks like painting.
“We are also adopting, what we are calling Green Justice Sentencing, instead of sentencing people to go and lounge in prison, we will be sentencing them to community service where they can do tree planting, cleaning hospitals, and markets, and painting public offices,” Koome explained.
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Moreover, she outlined the Judiciary’s collaborative efforts with county governments to establish a supervisory framework for the Green Justice system.
Koome also highlighted the Judiciary’s commitment to exploring sustainable alternatives, such as transitioning judicial offices to solar power from conventional electricity usage.
“We have been very deliberate and very intentional about planting trees, we call it Greening the Judiciary, we have also adopted other methods of saving the environment like using solar power instead of electricity,” Koome affirmed.
This initiative aligns with the government’s broader strategy to address climate change, including plans to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
In further support of climate activism, the government designated May 10, 2024, as a national tree-growing day to encourage widespread participation in tree-planting activities.
During the tree-planting event, the Ministry of Environment assigned key government officials, including Cabinet Secretaries, to specific areas for planting and nurturing trees, underscoring the collective commitment to environmental preservation.
Kenyan Chief Justice Introduces Green Justice System: Petty Offenders to Plant Trees Instead of Prison Time