THE first ever Court of Appeal criminal session to sit in eastern region opened in Mbale High Court yesterday morning presided over by the deputy Chief Justice Alice Bahigeine.
In her opening remarks, Justice Bahigeine said the court would handle 64 appeal cases which included 31 of murder, 16 of defilement, five of rape, nine of aggravated robbery while arson, simple robbery and receiving stolen property have one case each.
Bahigeine hoped that the criminal court session, to last about 45 days would dispose-of all the appeal cases and, therefore, called for co-operation from all stakeholders to clear the cases.
She said when the court sat in Gulu, 49 out of 51 appeal cases were disposed-of while the session held in Mbarara expedited 78 of 79 cases.
Bahigeine said the strategy of holding the Court of Appeal criminal sessions outside Kampala was aimed at taking justice to the people so as to help the Judiciary dispose-of cases speedily, thereby making the existence of the court felt by the people.
The appellants include 24 people whose cases were handled during the High Court criminal sessions in Mbale, Tororo, Soroti, Iganga and Jinja between 2002 and 2008.
They include four UPDF soldiers sentenced to death for murder. They are appealing against the sentence.
Other members on the Mbale Court of Appeal panel include Justices Amos Twinomujuni, Steven Kavuma, Augustine Nshimye, Arach Amoko and Remmy Kasule.
Court of Appeal holds first session in Mbale
