Hon. Justice Buteera(Deputy Chief Justice - far right) planting a tree at the Soroti High Court Site
The Deputy Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Richard Buteera, expressed gratitude to the District, Religious and Cultural leaders for their involvement in the administration of justice.
"Our Constitution states that the citizens of Uganda should take part in the administration of justice, therefore it is fitting and proper for religious leaders to participate in administration of justice," he said.
He made this call while presiding over the Soroti High Court Open Day on Thursday March 23, 2023,where a large crowd turned up to interact with court officials.
The Deputy Chief Justice also urged members of the public to utilize Judiciary's innovations such as Mediation, Plea Bargaining, and Small Claims Procedure all put in place to ensure efficiency in the justice system.
The Deputy Chief Justice further reassured the court users that with the Judiciary has put in place of Performance Management System, day to day hearing of cases, e-payment of court fees, filing cases through ECCMIS among others to ensure improved justice delivery.
He noted some of the challenges faced by the people such as lack of enough judicial officers, absenteeism, poor customer care and corruption allegations against court officers.
The DCJ assured the court users of Judiciary's commitment to prioritizing justice needs of people and bringing services closer. He said the plan is to decentralize the Court of Appeal and also have a Chief Magistrate in every district.
The DCJ called upon the Staff of the Judiciary to always report to work on time, and handle court users with courtesy. He also commended the Uganda Law Society for providing pro-bono services for the poor.
The Soroti Resident Judge, Hon. Justice Dr. Henry Peter Adonyo in his brief to the Deputy Chief Justice shared that Soroti High Court completed 1100 cases in 2022.
He noted that several mechanisms have been put in place at Soroti High Court to ensure court processes are efficient. These include an open door policy for court users to discuss any issues, public sensitization about court proceedings, and holding stakeholders' meetings.
Hon. Justice Dr. Adonyo reassured the Deputy Chief Justice and other stakeholders that the Court was ready for the reduction of backlog and called upon court users to be patient and cooperative while handling their matters and delivering justice.
The Assistant Registrar Soroti, HW Jessica Chemeri asked the public to express their views, which she said would improve the Court's service delivery. She urged members of the public to always contact the Judiciary toll free numbers whenever they needed clarification on court-related matters.
The Soroti Chief Magistrate, HW Margaret Aanyu reported that her court has been performing excellently, with a success rate of 90%.
She noted that the Court's jurisdiction includes two areas of Soroti Chief Magistrate and Serere Court, which operate from Monday to Friday and sometimes over the weekends depending on the workload.
The Chief Magistrate expressed her gratitude to Judiciary for providing a generator, an archives container, a tent for waiting area and a new motorcycle, which has enabled them to improve delivery justice. She highlighted the challenge of lack of space, with Soroti High Court taking up most of it.
The Deputy Resident Commissioner Soroti District Mr. Kasozi Martin Basalilwa who represented the RDC informed the people that Judiciary land for construction of a Court of Appeal had been identified in Katine. He said this will reduce on the cost of appeals.
Ms Josephine Osiba, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner who represented the Resident City Commissioner requested for the increase in the jurisdiction of the Chief Magistrate and Magistrate Grade One as well Government funding for the police to enable their participation in court hearings.
She also encouraged people to support the government and its programmes regardless of political affiliation, and to help in the fight against homosexuality.
Many Court users interacted with the Court's Judicial Officers, seeking guidance on different issues.
The Open Day was held under the theme, "Enhancing Access to Justice for All".
Posted 23rd, March 2023
