Hon. Justice Dr. Bamwine Explains Realities of Case Backlog to Kasese Inmates
The Hon. Principal Judge at the launch of the plea bargaining session at Mubuku prison in Kasese
Kasese.\r\nThe Judiciary launched\r\nthe Plea Bargaining programme in Mubuku Prison, Kasese. The programme seeks to\r\ndecongest the prisons in the country as a whole. Plea-Bargaining is an alternative\r\ndispute resolution mechanism with great potential to improve on the landscape\r\nof criminal justice in Uganda. The program was launched by the\r\nHon. Principal Judge, Hon.\r\nJustice Dr. Yorokamu Bamwine, at Mubuku Prison in Kasese.
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While\r\nlaunching the Plea Bargain Programme at Mubuku prison, The Principal Judge,\r\nHon. Justice Dr Yorokamu Bamwine asked inmates to confess their crimes before\r\ncourt in order to get less or lighter sentences. "We\r\nare all sinners before God but as Christians we say speak the truth it will set\r\nyou free. Being in prison does not mean it is the end of life," he said.
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Hon. Justice Dr. Bamwine explained\r\nthat the Judiciary will this financial year hold 70 criminal sessions\r\ncountrywide based on the principle of "first in”, "first out”. He said there are currently more\r\nthan 10,000 prisoners who have been committed to the High Court for trial.
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"In Judiciary, we handle cases\r\nbasing on the principle of first in, first out. Between now and June next year,\r\nwe shall conduct 70 criminal sessions, with each session having 40 files. This\r\nmeans that we shall be able to handle about 2,800 files...” Hon. Justice Dr. Bamwine\r\nsaid. He added: "the files that we are to\r\nfocus on are those of 2011 and 2012, so those of you who are not in that\r\nbracket, will have to wait longer to have your day in court.” He encouraged remand prisoners who want to\r\nplead guilty to opt for Plea Bargaining so that their matters are expeditiously\r\nhandled.
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Prosecutors\r\nencourage pleas of guilty under this programme to save time and resources as well\r\nas decongest the prisons. Speaking at\r\nthe launch, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Charles Elem Ogwal likewise\r\nurged the inmates to embrace the plea bargain programme because it is swift.
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Plans are\r\nunderway to hold a criminal session in Kasese District this year. This will be\r\nin addition to the more than 50 inmates who want to plea bargain. The Principal Judge called on prisoners under Plea-Bargaining\r\nto take up a new and reformed life.
Posted 22nd, September 2016
