State attorney shortage 'significantly' biting Judiciary

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Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice Jane Frances Abodo, says the shortage of state attorneys is significantly hindering judicial work, particularly in courts. 

Abodo, who argues that committal processes are especially affected as they require timely attention, says currently, there 89 courts without prosecutors and 33 districts without DPP presence.

The chief prosecutor, however, says there are ongoing efforts to increase the number of state attorneys in the future.

The revelations were made on Tuesday (October 22, 2024) when Principal Judge Dr Flavian Zeija and Abodo convened a meeting to address key issues including the deployment of state attorneys and delayed committal proceedings.

As per the Judiciary's press unit, other discussion points included process server funding and various concerns impacting the administration of justice nationwide.

In attendance were Sarah Langa Siu (Chief Registrar), Rosemary Bareebe (Registrar High Court), Mary Kaitesi Kisakye (Registrar Magistrates Affairs and Data Management), Julius Mwesigye (Personal Assistant to the PJ), Timothy Lumunye (Personal Assistant to the CR), representatives from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Services.

During the meeting which took place at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala, the Principal Judge stated that the meeting was convened due to the numerous ongoing issues in the criminal justice system.

He noted that after consulting with the Chief Registrar, it was decided to hold a meeting with representatives from the DPP, Police, and Correctional Services to develop a unified approach to these challenges.

A key concern highlighted was the of applications increasing number to the High Court for individuals who have overstayed on remand. The Principal Judge stressed the need to identify the missing link in the committal process and devise a lasting solution to reduce the number of these applications.

Another critical issue addressed was the deployment of state attorneys. He emphasised the need to find away on how the limited number of attorneys available can be effectively distributed/deployed.

Zeija also highlighted the importance of feedback, urging all stakeholders to share information so that action can be taken to improve the situation.

Langa provided insights into the current situation, revealing that, as of Friday, 95 courts had reported a total of 3,204 capital cases pending committals. The most affected areas included Kyenjojo, Masindi, Mbarara and Mityana.

Way forward

To address these concerns, the Uganda Police Force was encouraged to hold regular meetings to facilitate better communication and ensure timely updates on the progress of investigations.

It was also proposed that clear timelines be established for the completion of inquiries and enhancing the facilitation of process servers were identified as crucial steps toward easing the current challenges.

The other was ensuring that High Court Circuits criminal sessions are conducted, at least four in a quarter, depending on the availability of funds.

Furthermore, stakeholders will meet quarterly to provide feedback on their progress.

Roundtable discussions on deployment will be held with the DPP, generating and harmonising a list of their deployments.

Additionally, statistics on pending committal files will be made available to track and address the backlog effectively.