Hon. Justice Bart Katureebe (Chief Justice), HE President Yoweri Museveni and Hon Kahinda Otaffire (Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs)at the opening of the 19th Annual Judges Conference
Kampala.President Yoweri Museveni on Friday 27th January, 2017 officially opened the four day Annual Judges conference with a call to Judges to explore Alternative Dispute Resolution to ensure efficiency of court systems.
In his speech, President Museveni urged the courts to prioritize commercial and land cases because such matters are the backbone of the economy of the country.
He said, "I, therefore, appeal to your Lordships to expedite the handling of these cases, especially land and commercial cases that are so critical to the development of this country. You should also explore other alternative means of dispute resolution to promote certainty and efficiency in the legal system."
The Conference which runs under the theme:"The Uganda Judiciary as the Guarantor of the Rule of Law" doubled as the launch of Judiciary's Brand Identity as well as the Criminal Bench Book. The Criminal Bench Book is a handbook for very quick and easy reference in the process of handling criminal cases.
In his speech, the Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Bart Katureebe directed that all interim applications arising out of corruption cases be handled by the trial judge in order to avoid frustration and delay of these cases.
However, Hon. Justice Katureebe was quick to add that with the exception of Constitutional applications which are a preserve of the Constitutional Court.
"In the interest of justice, all applications challenging proceedings of the Anti-Corruption Division except on constitutional issues will henceforth be dealt with by the trial Judge," he said.
The Chief Justice further emphasized the need to respect court orders even if one of the parties does not agree with it.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs told the judicial officers that the Administration of Justice Bill had been harmonized and would be presented in Parliament before the end of February, 2017. He also said his Ministry is working with the Treasury to have an effective and robust Judicial Service Commission.
The three-day conference, running from January 27 to January 29, 2017 is a platform for judicial officers to take stock of the courts' performance of the previous year as well as to discuss contemporary issues affecting justice.
Posted 27th, January 2017
