Guidelines on a Reference for Preliminary Ruling
26. If a party has insufficient means and where it is possible under national
rules, the national court may grant that party legal aid to cover the costs,
including those of lawyers’ fees, which the party incurs before the Court.
Communication between the national court and the East African Court of
Justice
27. The order for reference and the relevant documents (including, where
applicable, the case file or a copy of the case file) are to be sent by the national
court directly to the East African Court of Justice, by registered post
(addressed to the Registrar of the East African Court of Justice or its subregistries in the partner states).
28. The Court Registry will stay in contact with the national court until a
ruling is given, and will send it copies of the procedural documents.
29. The East African Court of Justice will send its ruling to the national court.
It would welcome information from the national court on the action taken upon
its ruling in the national proceedings and, where appropriate, a copy of the
national court’s final decision.
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