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Chief registrar urges litigants to embrace judiciary innovations
“The judiciary has, over the years, rolled out several initiatives such as mediation, small claims procedure, and plea bargain, among others, because we know that our traditional way of handling cases has led to even more backlog."
Chief registrar urges litigants to embrace judiciary innovations
By: Farooq Kasule, Journalist @New Vision
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The Chief Registrar of Courts of Judicature, Agnes Alum, has urged litigants to embrace innovations rolled out by the judiciary, such as mediation, the small claims procedure, and plea bargaining, among others, for faster access to justice.
“The judiciary has, over the years, rolled out several initiatives such as mediation, small claims procedure, and plea bargain, among others, because we know that our traditional way of handling cases has led to even more backlog. I therefore urge you to embrace these initiatives for faster access to justice,” Alum said.
During a court open day event at the Law Development Centre (LDC) Court in Kampala on Tuesday, June 23, Alum noted that the judiciary has a total of 701 judicial officers, but they are not sufficient to serve the country's population, estimated at 41 million.
“Advantages associated with these reforms include reducing the time and cost expended in the traditional system. I urge you to embrace these initiatives wholeheartedly,” Alum said.
She also urged the court users to report errant judicial officers and court staff, saying the judiciary is committed to redeeming itself where it has fallen short.
Relatedly, Chief Magistrate of the LDC Court Timothy Lumunye revealed that there are only 58 cases at the court which are categorised as backlog.
A case is considered a backlog if it has spent more than two years in the judicial system.
During the event, several court users accused police officers attached to the court of soliciting bribes from them in exchange for services.
Without mentioning the names, Ketty Nakayanja alleged that police officers at the court allegedly demanded money from her to release her son, who was facing charges she described as unjust.
She also urged the court users to report errant judicial officers and court staff, saying the judiciary is committed to redeeming itself where it has fallen short.
Relatedly, Chief Magistrate of the LDC Court Timothy Lumunye revealed that there are only 58 cases at the court which are categorised as backlog.
A case is considered a backlog if it has spent more than two years in the judicial system.
During the event, several court users accused police officers attached to the court of soliciting bribes from them in exchange for services.
Without mentioning the names, Ketty Nakayanja alleged that police officers at the court allegedly demanded money from her to release her son, who was facing charges she described as unjust.
“They asked for sh1m to take back my son to Wandegeya police station and release him. I paid sh200,000 to them, but my son was still remanded. So, I need help on this matter,” Nakayanja said.
However, Kenneth Massette, the Wandegeya police commander, advised the various complainants to reach out to him for action.
“We cannot discuss this at this session, but I ask those with information that can lead to those who receive bribes from you to contact me. I will take action,” Massette said.
The judiciary came up with a court open day to promote judicial accountability, demystify legal processes, and improve public access to justice.
These community-focused initiatives allow court users to interact directly with judicial officers, learn about their rights and provide feedback on justice delivery.