The High Court of Uganda which houses the Criminal Division
Kampala. Since judicial officers under their umbrella body Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) went on strike on August 25, 2017, the courts' registries have remained open.
A registry is the first point of call, where all court documents are filed by parties to a case.
The registries continue to operate normally handling the registration of cases. At the High Court, some judicial officers operated normally. At the Civil Division, Hon. Justice Steven Musota was at the court as per the schedule, so was Hon. Lady Justice Margaret Oguli-Oumo who carried out court business in her chambers.
At the Criminal Division, matters had been adjourned since the head of the division;Hon. Justice Wilson Kwesiga was indisposed.
The head of Land Division, Hon. Justice Dr. Andrew Bashaija, attended to all the five cases that had been cause-listed for the day.
At the Commercial Court, Mediation hearings were on-going.
At Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, a total of 40 cases that had been cause-listed on Monday flopped as there were no judicial officers at the station. This scenario was registered at Buganda Road, City Hall and Makindye Courts.
According to the Uganda Prisons Services Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Baine, the prisons had produced more than 1,500 inmates at the different courts countrywide.
Many inmates left crestfallen as the magistrates did not show up in the courtrooms.
JSC Reactions
On Monday, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) pledged to come up with an enhanced salary structure. The structure is hoped woo the striking judicial officers back to work.
According to the HW Godfrey Kaweesa, the UJOA President, the full JSC convenes on Wednesday August 30, 2017 to formally adopt the final figures "which will then be forwarded to the Minister of Justice for onward submission to Cabinet."
"After cabinet has approved the resolutions,we shall call for another general assembly in which members will decide whether to adopt the cabinet resolution and suspend the strike or not," he said.
HW Kaweesa added that as judicial officers, they understand the pain which Ugandans are going through currently, but noted that their industrial action is aimed at having an independent judiciary which will serve them more efficiently.
Judges and Magistrates reached decision to lay down their tools in the General meeting held last month at the High Court in Kampala, protesting against low salaries.
Posted 29th, August 2017
