Kampala Parents' Pupils Pay Courtesy Call on the Chief Justice
The Hon. Chief Justice Bart Katureebe(Centre) with children from Kampala Parents during a courtesy visit.
KAMPALA.\r\nOn Friday (October 14, 2016) afternoon, about 15 pupils of Kampala Parents’\r\nSchool were dressed in Judges’ gowns and wigs, others were dressed like\r\nlawyers. The excited children were for the\r\nfirst time going to meet the head of the Judiciary, the third arm of\r\ngovernment, the Hon. Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Bart Katureebe at his chambers\r\nat the Supreme Court.The children were eager to meet the\r\nChief Justice whom they have just read about and watched on television.
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Hon. Justice Katureebe was delighted\r\nto see the children dressed like Judges and lawyers before welcoming them to\r\nhis chambers. "You children are lucky that you\r\nhave come to the Supreme Court, for us during our days, we could not even get\r\nclose to the Chief Magistrates Court.” a jolly Hon. Justice Katureebe said. During his jovial interaction with\r\nthe children, he showed them various pictures that he took with high profile\r\nworld leaders that are hang on the wall. He pointed to the first picture that\r\nhang in the far corner of his chambers as a picture taken of him taking oath\r\nupon his first appointed as a minister. The other pictures were those of\r\nPope John II, Sadam Hussein whom he said he met in Baghdad when he was a\r\nminister, former US president Bill Clinton and those of President Museveni.
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During question time, the pupils asked\r\nfreely. Isabella Ramose wanted to know what inspired him to become Chief\r\nJustice. Before Hon. Justice Katureebe could\r\nanswer her question, he said the first question should have been what inspired\r\nhim to become a lawyer. But in answering her question, Hon. Justice Katureebe said anyone to be appointed Chief Justice must have practiced as a lawyer for 30 years. He clarified that he did not apply for the Chief Justice job but other people nominated him. He added that he was cleared by the\r\nJudicial Service Commission before the President appointing him and Parliament\r\napproved him.
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The second question was asked by Ian\r\nIwumbwe. He asked Chief Justice how he feels like when he sentences someone to\r\nprison and later discovers that indeed the person was innocent. Hon. Justice Katureebe replied that\r\nit’s a regrettable scenario to happen. He said to avoid such occurrences; Judges\r\nmust be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the person they are sending to\r\njail committed the offense. He added that incase there is any doubt, it should\r\nbe resolved in the accused person’s favour and released. After the question and answer\r\nsession, it was now a photo session as the children swarmed Hon. Justice\r\nKatureebe as they merrily took pictures with him.
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To crown the afternoon, the pupils\r\nhad "a moot court” about a seven-year old girl in Mityana district that was\r\ndefiled by her uncle. The Chief Justice was one of those\r\nwho watched the moot court as the children meticulously acted out as Judges, Defense\r\nLawyers and Prosecutors.
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"Just seeing these children act you\r\nmay think its real court going on, you acted very well. I remember in my early\r\ndays; I also used to act on stages. You never know, this may be the formation\r\nof your career path as a Judge...” Hon. Justice Katureebe urged the pupils.
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Posted 15th, October 2016
