Participants at the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court stakeholder meeting
The Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court has completed a total of 1,283 cases since its operationalization in 2017. This was revealed on Thursday February 24, 2022 by the Court's Chief Magistrate, HW Gladys Kamasanyu during a stakeholders meeting at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court where it is housed.
While presenting the Court's performance at the first stakeholders meeting of the year, HW Kamasanyu reported that ever since the Court was operationalized in 2017, it has registered 1,452 cases of which 1,283 have been completed. She reported that the Court’s caseload now stands at 169 cases.
She informed members that the Court was set to migrate from the old filing system to the new Electronic Court Management Information System (ECCMIS).
Ms Joan Keko, the Chief State Attorney at the Court applauded the Judicial Officers and prosecutors for the diligent work done. She commended them for prioritizing such cases with the deserved urgency despite the hurdles. "We have a country wide jurisdiction which comes with a challenge of transporting witnesses and investigators, making it an expensive venture," she said.
The other challenges were highlighted by the Chief Magistrate who decried lack of adequate storages pace for exhibits since the Court is accommodated by another Court and absence of specialized sentencing guidelines for handling the peculiar cases which the Court handles. She equally pointed out frequent occurrences of mishandling exhibits.
On her part, Ms Keko called for the need to visit locus, transparency while disposing off exhibits, training of different stakeholders especially Judicial Officers to skill them in litigation and proper management of cases brought to the Court.
The meeting attracted representatives from different agencies which included:-
Uganda Registration Services Bureau, National Environment Management Authority, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda Tea Corporation Limited, Uganda Communications Commission and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Others in attendance were from National Drug Authority, National Forestry Authority, Electricity Regulatory Authority, UMEME, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service who all commended the Court for its strides.
Posted 24th, February 2022
