Court Accredited Mediators in Masindi
More than 39 leaders are undergoing a two-day training that will see them turned into court accredited mediators.
The training was officially flagged off on Monday by Hon. Justice David Wangutusi at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Masindi.
The trainees are drawn from among judicial officers, advocates, the business community, local and religious leaders from Masindi, Kiryandongo, Bulisa and Hoima districts.
Hon. Justice Wangutusi who is also the lead facilitator shared that the ratio of cases registered in courts is too big compared to the available number of judges to dispose them which has led to an increase in case backlog.
"This means that a case that would take two to three weeks will spend years in the court system. Now we ask, what are the alternative ways of solving disputes? But I must saythat the Judiciary would fail if it tried to work alone."
Adding: "So we need the community, and the community we need are leaders who deal and meet with the people. We’re looking for alternative methods for settling our cases and one of the methods is mediation."
Hon. Justice Wangutusi emphasized the fact that Mediation is an African tool used to not a new phenomenon in Africa according to resolve disputes which arise in a society. "Where there was a dispute, they (our ancestors) would sit together and agree on how to resolve the dispute. After resolving the dispute, they would eat and drink together until the colonialists brought a new dispensation of justice that requires to bring all disputes to the courts of law," he said.
He called upon religious leaders to embrace Mediation since it’s ingrained both in the Bible and Sunna reports, which are the scholarly works of Islam. Hon. Justice Wangutusi urged the advocates to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution as it’s the only way they can increase their turnover in cases disposed of.
HW Erias Omar Kisawuzi, the Registrar in charge of Mediation, said the two-day workshop will handle topics such as nature and causes of conflict, Mediation Rules, processes, style and benefits will be handled. Other topics include communication, negotiation, and managing diversity.
"Other than the core topics on Mediation theories and practices, we shall also talk about communication, negotiation and bargaining as key to aspects to the mediation process", he said.
Key among the expectations that participants have are; acquiring knowledge in Mediation, professional skills, roles of a mediator, applicability of Mediation, sharing experiences and becoming recognized court mediators.
The benefits of mediation range from quick disposal of case, affordability, strengthening relationships in communities to promoting peace thus contributing to the economic development of the nation.
Among those trained were HW Simon Kintu Zirintuusa, the Assistant Registrar Masindi High Court and HW Benson Ssemondo, Bulisa Magistrate Grade one. The Deputy Resident District Commissioners, Mr. Kansiime Crayton, of Hoima and Bahebwa Longino of Masindi werealso among the trainees.
Posted 8th, December 2020
