Buganda Road Court Holds Court Open Day
The Hon. Chief Justice addressing the public after during the Buganda Road Court open day
Kampala. Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on April 12, 2017 held a Court Open Day which was presided over by the Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Bart M. Katureebe to interact with public and explain its services. The event organized by the Judiciary to enables stakeholders in the Justice Law and Order Sector to get feedback from public to improve administration of justice.
In his remarks, the Chief Justice stated that he has been getting demands asking him to move courts to the prisons and hold trials from there. He said indeed the as the Chief Justice, he has powers to designate any building in the interest of justice for a trial of a particular case or cases but, it must answer a constitutional mandate of a public trial.
"The CJ must first of all be satisfied that if a trial is held in a prison there can be a safe public trial as mandated by the Constitution. These are things that we must address; it is not as simple as it is made out sometimes.The Constitution must be respected," he said.
Speaking at the same function, the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago tasked the judiciary to relocate the City Hall Court from KCCA premises saying he is constrained by its presence. He said the City Hall court is congesting the rooms that are meant to be part of his office. "That court was squeezed in the Lord Mayor’s parlor, we need that space to house other institutional activities," Mr. Lukwago said, adding:"Sometimes people who come in to attend court bump into my offices which is disturbing. It is the primary obligation of the judiciary to find proper space for that court," he said.
Chief Justice Bart Katureebe said as the Judiciary they are trying to provide services, "...KCCA said they want a court because they have these specialized claims of enforcement of by-laws. So we put a magistrate there. But, now the Lord Mayor is no longer interested, he wants us to take away our magistrate," Hon. Justice Katureebe said, adding "...these are inevitable problems, we shall put measures in place and where problems come up, we shall deal with them."
Posted 13th, April 2017
