6,000 land cases pending
Jan 08, 2007
THERE are over 6,000 cases pending in land tribunals across the country, the Chief Justice has revealed. The mandate for land tribunals expired in November 2006.
By Hillary Kiirya
THERE are over 6,000 cases pending in land tribunals across the country, the Chief Justice has revealed. The mandate for land tribunals expired in November 2006.
Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki consequently directed magistrates’ courts to take over the cases, pending a decision by the Cabinet and Parliament on the fate of the tribunals.
Addressing chief magistrates and grade one magistrates from the central region at Ridar Hotel yesterday, Odoki said in Kampala alone there are 1,500 land cases.
He said the pending cases were going to be distributed among chief magistrates and grade one magistrates of Mengo, Nakawa, Buganda Road, Makindye, Muwanga Two, City Hall and Nabweru courts.
He added that there is a similar backlog of 500 cases in Wakiso, 350 in Mpigi, 600 in Mukono and 100 in Kayunga. “These are not few cases at all and to make matters worse, most of them have been pending for four years now and there is urgent need for them to be resolved.â€
Odoki said land is becoming more and more contentious and called upon the magistrates to study all the relevant laws relating to land very extensively and fully internalise them. He said the Land Act is the main law, but encouraged them to read widely and be conversant with a blend of various laws.
“I am stressing access to justice, particularly land justice because land is the main means of livelihood and a critical input in the production process. In the recent years, land disputes have increased in Uganda and many remain unsolved as the poor are unable to get access to an affordable dispute resolution mechanism.â€
He said land disputes are a drain on the resources of poor households in terms of time and money spent. “This in turn retards agricultural investment and growth.
The issue of access to land justice is very crucial and poses a big challenge at this time when chief magistrates and grade one magistrates have just been given the mandate to exercise jurisdiction over land matters until new chairpersons and members of district land tribunals are appointed or otherwise,†said Odoki.
Odoki was speaking during a workshop to train the magistrates on how to handle land disputes.
THERE are over 6,000 cases pending in land tribunals across the country, the Chief Justice has revealed. The mandate for land tribunals expired in November 2006.
Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki consequently directed magistrates’ courts to take over the cases, pending a decision by the Cabinet and Parliament on the fate of the tribunals.
Addressing chief magistrates and grade one magistrates from the central region at Ridar Hotel yesterday, Odoki said in Kampala alone there are 1,500 land cases.
He said the pending cases were going to be distributed among chief magistrates and grade one magistrates of Mengo, Nakawa, Buganda Road, Makindye, Muwanga Two, City Hall and Nabweru courts.
He added that there is a similar backlog of 500 cases in Wakiso, 350 in Mpigi, 600 in Mukono and 100 in Kayunga. “These are not few cases at all and to make matters worse, most of them have been pending for four years now and there is urgent need for them to be resolved.â€
Odoki said land is becoming more and more contentious and called upon the magistrates to study all the relevant laws relating to land very extensively and fully internalise them. He said the Land Act is the main law, but encouraged them to read widely and be conversant with a blend of various laws.
“I am stressing access to justice, particularly land justice because land is the main means of livelihood and a critical input in the production process. In the recent years, land disputes have increased in Uganda and many remain unsolved as the poor are unable to get access to an affordable dispute resolution mechanism.â€
He said land disputes are a drain on the resources of poor households in terms of time and money spent. “This in turn retards agricultural investment and growth.
The issue of access to land justice is very crucial and poses a big challenge at this time when chief magistrates and grade one magistrates have just been given the mandate to exercise jurisdiction over land matters until new chairpersons and members of district land tribunals are appointed or otherwise,†said Odoki.
Odoki was speaking during a workshop to train the magistrates on how to handle land disputes.