Group Photo: Staff at Masaka High Court with the Hon. Justice Buteera (DCJ) and HW Sarah Langa (CR)
The Deputy Chief Justice,Hon. Justice Richard Buteera, spent the better part of the Monday (November 30,2020) interacting with all Judicial Officers under Masaka High Court circuit onthe different strategies the Courts there are going to put in place to dealwith case backlog.
The DCJ together withChief Registrar, HW Sarah Langa Siu, Judiciary Technical Advisor, Mr AndrewKhaukha and the DCJ’s Principal Legal Secretary, HW Dr Alex Mushabe Karocho,were welcomed by Masaka Resident Judge, Hon. Lady Justice Victoria NkwangaKatamba. The Court’s Deputy Registrar, HW Dr Agnes Nkonge and Chief Magistrate,HW Charles Yeteise were present.
The team were led on aguided tour of both the High Court and Chief Magistrates Court which are housedin the same premises.
The DCJ and alsoChairperson of Case Backlog Reduction Committee went on to engage the JudicialOfficers in circuit on their strategies for case backlog.
In her status report, Hon.Lady Justice Katamba reported that there are 1,050 cases classified as backlogin the different categories. She pointed out that the backlog had been causedby inadequate manpower, unnecessary adjournments by lawyers, frequent transferof judicial officers, delayed and or insufficient funds and unrepresentedlitigants. Other factors being; lack of video conferencing equipment andtranscribing sets.
She called for thedeployment of a second judge, weeding out, general and special sessions andin-circuit sessions as modes of reducing case backlog.
The DCJ emphasizeddeveloping and adherence to workplans, stakeholder engagements, concurrenthandling of backlog and current work so as not to accumulate more backlog.
In reference to ameeting she held with Chief Magistrates September 29, 2020 the CR informed theMagistrates that challenges and remedies for magistrates’ courts had beendiscussed.
She added thatan implementation matrix for short run, mid-term and long run had beendeveloped for implementation.
HW Langa commended theMagistrates for being good ambassadors for Judiciary's zero tolerance tocorruption policy.
The Assistant Directorof Public Prosecution, Masaka, Ms. Amumpeire Jenipher, was present withMagistrates; HW Tumuhimbise Nause, HW Wakooli Grace, HW Ziraba Arthur, (Masaka),HW Oburu Morris Ezra (Sembabule) and HW Peter Mutale (Rakai). The others were; HWOwino Paul Abdonson (Kalangala), HW Kaiza Abdallah (Lyantonde) and HW NambozoJoy (Kalisizo).
Posted 30th, November 2020
