DCJ Meets Court-Accredited Mediators, Discusses Draft Court-Annexed Mediation Interim Guidelines, Best Practices
(L-R): Justice Musa Ssekaana, Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera and the Chief Registrar, HW Sarah Langa Siu
The Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera, today held a meeting with Court-accredited mediators at the Court of Appeal Conference Hall, Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala.
The purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback from the mediators on best practices and challenges encountered since they began work on June 17, 2024.
Additionally, the meeting aimed to discuss and provide input on the draft interim guidelines for Court-annexed mediation, which are being prepared for final issuance by the Chief Justice.
In his remarks, Justice Buteera thanked those attending in person and online for embracing Mediation. He stated that during the previous meeting on June 12, a list of court-accredited mediators, their stations, and terms of engagement had been shared.
The DCJ noted with appreciation that more than 80 per cent of the court-accredited mediators took part in this meeting. He conveyed his anticipation to receiving participants' ideas and views on how best the Judiciary can work with advocates, litigants, and other stakeholders to ensure that Mediation in the courts is revamped and successful.
The Acting Principal Judge, Justice Musa Ssekaana, commended the mediators for their work and emphasized that their feedback is crucial for addressing challenges and optimizing the guidelines.
The Chief Registrar, HW Sarah Langa Siu, presented the draft interim guidelines on court-accredited Mediation. These temporary guidelines support current mediation efforts until a new legal framework is established.
They cover the roles and responsibilities of mediators, judicial officers, parties, and advocates, and outline the mediation process, including referral of matters for mediation, appointment of mediators and mediation sessions (Participation, mediation period and scheduling of mediation sessions).
Additionally, the guidelines address the conclusion and enforcement of settlement agreements, as well as records management, including the mediation register and archiving, among other things.
HW Langa informed participants that there would be training sessions for court-annexed mediators this July. She also said the upcoming Settlement Week, which will prioritize the settlement of matters and announced a pre-settlement meeting to be chaired by the DCJ.
Additionally, the Chief Registrar shared that there would be a Family Justice Symposium, which will impact all mediators, particularly those in the Family Division.
Participants proposed that the guidelines should not be overly strict or rigid, as the principle of Mediation is voluntary. They also recommended developing a code of conduct for mediators, among other things.
Posted 11th, July 2024
