Participants at the half day training Improving Access to Justice for PWDs
KAMPALA: Different stakeholders on Friday July 26, 2019, took part in a half-day pre-enactment training and consultation on the proposed Rules on Cases of Persons with Disabilities.
The training, under the theme, "Promoting Disability Rights through the Bench", was officially opened by Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, HW Esta Nambayo.
She pointed out that the courts were making deliberate efforts to ensure that people with disabilities get the justice that they deserve.
HW Nambayo said the Judiciary is making deliberate efforts to install ramps at the different courthouses to ease movements of people with physical disabilities.
This pledge was reiterated by the Judicial Training Institute Deputy Registrar incharge of Training, HW Moses Gabriel Angualia. "The Judiciary will engage the Estates Department to ensure all court buildings are revamped to cater forPeople with Disabilities (PWDs)," HW Angualia said.
These promises come at the time when the Judiciary has just constructed and revamped the High Court in Kampala, which is also its headquarters to cater for PWDs by constructing walkways for them.
The CR also called for the recruitment of sign language interpreters to cater for PWDs who have a hearing impairment but are seeking justice.
On her part, Mukono Chief Magistrate, HW Juliet Harty Hatanga, said at her court whenever cases involving PWDs are brought to her attention, the hearings are then handled in the court compound to minimize their discomfort as they try to access justice.
The core objective of the workshop was to do a pre-enactment advocacy for the draft of court rules governing the procedures to effectively administer justice to PWDs.
The Coordinator of the Disability Law and Rights Centre (DLRC), Dr Damalie Nagitta Musoke, who was the keynote speaker, delivered a paper titled: The Evolving Nature of Disability Rights.
She pointed out that the Makerere University School of Law had since 2015 started promoting and training on disability rights through legal education.
It was agreed that there was need for tailor-made courses for the different categories of Judicial Officers in respect of the law and sensitivity to PWDs.
The meeting further recommended the need to make deliberate efforts to have sign language interpreters in the different courts.
In her closing remarks, the Deputy Head of the Commercial Division, Hon. Lady Justice Jane Alividza, said for the proposed rules to take effect, there is need for the Law in line with the regional and international trends.
She commended the organizers for workshop adding that needs of the different institutions such as Police and Prisons need to be reflected in the proposed rules to improve access to justice.
According to the 2014 National Population Census Report, disability prevalence in Uganda stood at 12.5%.
The Report further showed that the highest form of disability was the difficulty in seeing. This disability was followed by difficulty in walking, hearing and remembering.
In a bid to involve PWDS, Uganda has ratified a number of laws including the U.N. convention on the rights of PWDS. Uganda has also recognized the rights of PWDs in its constitution under article 32 and 35.
Further,Uganda has passed several laws like Persons with Disability Act 2006, Mental Health Act 2018 among others to cater for the rights of PWDs.
However,despite these laws being place, PWDS, still face challenges of discrimination,social exclusion in many walks of life including access to justice.
This was one of the reasons why the workshop was organized to tip judicial officers on how to effectively administer justice to PWDS.
Posted 29th, July 2019
