JUDICIARY Latest Features

President Yoweri Museveni said criminal political leaders are a disaster to the country and warned\r\nthat idealists have been replaced by politicians using bribery and corruption\r\nto seek jobs rather than using their offices as a platform for strategy for\r\ndirection.

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The President made these\r\nremarks on October 23, 2015 during his interaction with nine of the 11 Justices\r\nhe recently elevated to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Hon. Justice Cheborion\r\nBarishaki, one of the newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal, was also\r\nsworn in at the ceremony at State House in Entebbe.

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The new Supreme Court\r\nJustices at the ceremony included Hon. Justice Augustine Nshimye, Hon. Lady\r\nJustice Faith Mwondha, Hon. Justice Rubby Aweri Opio, and Hon. Justice Eldad\r\nMwangusya. Hon. Lady Justice Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza was absent at\r\nthe swearing in ceremony.

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Court of Appeal Justices\r\npresent were Hon. Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Hon. Justice Simon Mugenyi\r\nByabakama, Hon. Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, Hon. Lady Justice Hellen\r\nObura and Hon. Lady Justice Elizabeth Musoke. Hon. Justice Paul Mugamba, who\r\nwas also elevated from the High Court to the Court of Appeal, was absent, as he\r\nis set to be vetted by Parliament on October 29,2015.

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President Museveni said\r\nbribery disenfranchises the people and interferes with their sovereignty,\r\nadding, that what the people of Uganda do not approve should not happen. He\r\nsaid: "The Judiciary is helping us in the battle to have criminal political\r\nleaders accountable. It is a disaster for the country! You are given money for\r\nconstituency you steal it, and you are an honorable member in Parliament...how\r\nwill the country move forward?

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"With corruption, people of\r\nUganda sell their birthright. If we don’t clean the political side, it will affect\r\nthe army. We shall go back to square one. It is dangerous to our country,” he\r\nsaid.

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The President urged the\r\nJudiciary to clean its side, and that the Executive and Parliament, the other\r\ntwo arms of the state, clean the political side.

 "We are struggling to\r\nmake young people regain ideological aims rather than just mercenary aims and\r\npolitical careerism. They think politics is a job. You know what to do to clean\r\nup judiciary which will help us clean the other side,” he said.

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"The NRM government has been\r\nfighting to democratize and de-criminalize the state among other issues like\r\nintegration of Africa. We had moved very well on the political side and the\r\nside of the army. We were building a disciplined political class. But the\r\npolitical class is going backwards now, because idealists who were pushing NRM\r\nin earlier years have been replaced by careerists and job seekers. There is\r\nregression in that area – money, bribes etc making it quite a struggle. But I\r\ncan assure you we shall defeat these traitors taking us backwards,” he said.

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On the issue of the\r\nindependence of Judiciary President Museveni said independence does not mean\r\nfragmentation…There must be coordination,” he said.

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The Chief Justice, Hon.\r\nJustice Bart Katureebe, congratulated the Justices on their professional\r\nelevation.

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He also congratulated Hon. Justice\r\nCheborion Barishaki for his appointment to the Court of Appeal, describing him\r\nas one of the "better officers” he had during his reign as Attorney General.

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"This achievement in the\r\nyour professional career must be guarded jealously bearing in mind the need for\r\nJudges to observe at all times cardinal principals of impartiality,\r\nindependence, diligence, equality and propriety which underpin successful\r\ncareer on the bench.

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He castigated sentiments\r\nfrom corners of the public that it is wrong for the Judiciary to engage with\r\nthe Executive. "We have a duty to keep knocking on the doors of the Executive\r\nand the Legislature because that is the way we can get the necessary tools to\r\ndo our work as Judiciary,” he said.

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Hon. Justice Katureebe said\r\nhe was confident that with the coming of the new Justices to the Court of\r\nAppeal and Supreme Court, many pending matters will be handled. He said the\r\n4,000 appeals in the Court of Appeal will soon be dealt with, and that the\r\nCourt will soon start up-country sessions to offer speedy justice to the\r\npeople.
\r\n "We are committed to building confidence in the judicial system in this\r\ncountry,” he added. 

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He appealed to the President\r\nto appoint more Judges to the High Court, which he said is currently depleted –\r\nwith only 45 Judges – following the recent elevation and retirement of some Judges.

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Hon. Justice Katureebe said\r\nhe is looking towards re-hiring some of the retired Judges willing to help\r\nclear the backlog in the courts. "We want the retired Judges to come in\r\nwhenever there is need, and also to keep them active and respected,” he said.

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 The President said he\r\nsupports the idea of Judges retiring with their full pay and full facilities.\r\n"I know that lawyers in private legal practice work a lot and equally earn a\r\nlot, but all we need to do for the judicial officers is to maintain stability\r\nin their earnings up to the end. Ideally, Judges should not regret why they\r\never joined the bench – making them regret will bring us bad luck,” he said.

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"I am fully behind this\r\narrangement. The last time I read the Constitution, it indicated that all\r\nexecutive powers were vested in the president – all these people including\r\nmembers of the cabinet are under my direction – so I don’t know who is going to\r\nbe against this. I am fully convinced on this one.

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Yes, you can utilize these Judges\r\nto solve a problem if they still have the capacity to do some work. They should\r\ncome and help – like Mzee Odoki (former Chief Justice).”