INTERVIEW , Tuesday, March 10, 2015 7 Raise age limit of judges—Kavuma

Justice Steven Kavuma are expensive to buy and very has been acting Chief intimidating to the public. Who is Justice Kavuma? Justice for over two years. We have also stepped up our He was recently named struggle against corruption in the I was born on September 29, Deputy Chief Justice. Judiciary. 1948 to a humble family of the Our reporters, Alfred late Mzee Ivan Senti Bugingo Wandera and Betty After acting as Chief Justice and his wife Leah Bugingo both Amamukiror interviewed for about two years, you were residents of Makindye Sub- him. dropped to the position of the County by then. I am the third of Below are the excerpts. Deputy Chief Justice. Do you the seven children; six boys and think the appointing authority one girl. What value do you bring to the saw something lacking in you? I went to Kamanya Primary Judiciary as the Deputy Chief I cannot talk for the appointing School in Wankulukuku and Justice? authority because I only wait after P6 I scored a first grade, I bring the value of a person who and attend the interviews. I have then I joined Mengo Junior has served in various capacities as a not been dropped. I have been School for Junior One and Two servant of the people. I have served nominated as the substantive and then joined Mengo Senior in the position of a civil servant, a Deputy Chief Justice. I have never Secondary School for S1-S4 humble political leader and now even applied to be the Chief Justice. and then went to Nyakasura the a judicial officer. I really find it to School for A’ level. be useful as I go about dispensing What are some of the most I went to justice in the over 10 years I have difficult cases that you have graduating with a Second Class been in the Judiciary because we handled in your career as a Honors Bachelors degree in sort of share the experiences with Justice? Law. I then went to the Law our colleagues who are career They are many but out of the Development Center to pursue a judicial officers who started as many, I will not talk about some post -graduate diploma in legal magistrates and climbed the ladder. because they are still in court. My practice. When the two groups meet, there first involvement as a baby judge I started working as a lawyer is value from each side shared in in court was in a petition filed by originally in private practice with order to come up with a decision Hon. Miria Matembe and others. Businge & Company Advocates that is all encompassing and rich in It was very controversial and I was but my stay there was very brief all aspects. asked to draft a judgment but with because there was a decree that other judges assistance I was able certain graduates from certain What challenges lie ahead? to come up with a great judgment. professions should be bounded Definitely life is about challenges. I The others are the late Kazini’s to serve government for at least used to tell my constituents when I case; I handled it in very tight five years. was a politician and I repeat it. The circumstances. I then joined civil service as day you wake up and there is no a state attorney at the Ministry challenge to face then know you are How do you feel when your of Justice. From there I joined about to meet your creator. It means judgments are perceived as National Insurance Corporation you have outlived your usefulness pro-government? as a legal secretary and later on the planet. As a judicial officer I am not became a corporation secretary. Challenges are normal and part bothered by what the public From there, I decided to go into of any human being’s calling in thinks as long as I do my job in private practice and started a law terms of profession. The important accordance with the judicial oath I firm called Kavuma & Company thing is to be able to resolve those took without fear or favour. Advocates. challenges. Some of them maybe so The newly appointed Deputy Chief Justice, Steven Kavuma, You could rant or go to radios and In 1983, I was joined by Bart challenging that you get frightened addressing the press regarding his appointment at the Court of talk, but I will be guided by that Katureebe, now the newly but I am a positivist. I always look Appeal in on Saturday. Photo by Wilfred Sanya oath. I get the facts of the case, look appointed Chief Justice and we around for a silver lining in every at the evidence the parties bring formed Kavuma & Katureebe challenge that comes my way and when the judges can act as good before me, then I look at the laws Company Advocates. We worked I get it. “I would prefer if the mentors to those joining the career applicable to the situation and make together until we ventured into With the ability of prayers to and have maximum output. I my decision. politics. my God, eventually things keep retirement age is would prefer if the retirement age The beauty of our system is that I went back to my village and I moving and we have managed is increased to 70 for High Court we agree to disagree. That is why was elected the RC1 (Resistance the Judiciary for the last two years increased to 70 for judges, Court of Appeal 75 and the you find there may be three of Council) then RC2 and RC3. without a substantive Chief Justice Supreme Court should be left open. you but two say we should go this Later I was elected Mpigi district and Deputy Chief Justice but you High Court judges, way but one says no, leading to a chairperson and while serving know, nature hates a vacuum so What did you achieve as acting dissenting judgment and I have there, I was elected the deputy by circumstances we had to fill the Court of Appeal 75 Chief Justice? written quite a few of them. finance minister in charge of vacuum and because of that belief, First of all there were many Our system has corrective Custodian Boal and by virtue of the institution has kept going. prophets of doom that prophesied mechanisms in case of any that appointment; I joined the and the Supreme that without a substantive Chief mistakes. You can appeal to any National Resistance Council (the What are your priorities? Justice, the institution would of the courts in case you are not Interim Parliament) First of all I will continue focusing Court should be left collapse. But we have continued satisfied with the decision. When the policy of expanding on eliminating case backlog within dispensing justice and statistics Those who think I have been the council was passed, I the Court of Appeal. It does not open,”Kavuma show we have greatly improved and making decisions favoring was elected NRC member for make sense to fight elimination recorded many positive outputs. government are absolutely wrong. Kyandondo County. While of backlog when new backlog is We have introduced mediation in serving as member of the being created. We must continue the lower courts to reduce on the What is your take on President council, time came for electing to dispense justice and resolve human resources to take on the case backlog. Yoweri Museveni’s call for the delegates who were going to disputes in a timely manner. responsibilities that we have, and We have embraced plea judges to deny bail to capital write the Constitution. I contested I am thinking of introducing adequate funding. bargaining where the accused offenders? in Kyandondo South and I was mediation because it will help us and complainant sit and find an I know the President has been elected its Constituent Assembly come up with decisions that are Do you still stand by your amicable solution. addressing the issue of bail delegate and participated in the completely owned by the people opinion that judges should not We have embraced small claim generally. My understanding is he is 1995 Constitution writing. who participate in it. have a retirement age? procedures where someone with a appealing to the judges that when While there, I was appointed I will continue with the crusade Yes. For the time I have served in claim of up to sh10m does not go you are exercising your discretion, minister of state for Constitutional of making ’s Judiciary a the Judiciary, I have seen many into the formal court system. when faced with an application for Affairs and oversaw the exercise people-based institution both in judges seek employment outside We have improved on our bail, you be mindful of the outcome of completing the Constitution. I words and actions so as to serve the in other jurisdictions because their technology. We now have audio of your decision. So he is calling for went ahead and contested for an interest of the people as directed by retirement age is at the corner. recordings in our High Courts caution when judicial officers are MP seat which I won and I was the Constitution. That is unfortunate because we and all the upcountry circuits. considering bail application. appointed the minister of state So the Judiciary of today must cry of inadequate human resource We are now moving to improve for Defence, after which I went not remain the colonial type with a in the Judiciary and at 65 people the technology in the Magistrates’ Will you re-join politics after back into private practice and colonial structure, but an institution are going and getting employed Courts. retirement? re-formed Kavuma & Company deriving its power and authority in other jurisdictions by the We have also embarked on No. At that time I will be a senior Advocates. I was then appointed from the people and serving in the Commonwealth. the process of demystifying citizen and would want to enjoy the to the Court of Appeal in 2004 interest of the population. It is like we are donating our the institution and passed a rest of my years. May be I will go and I have been serving in I will also continue to demand young and vibrant judiciary officers resolution agreeing that wearing into consultancy in order not to be Judiciary since then. that we are provided with sufficient to the Commonwealth. At 65 is of wigs is voluntary because they stale.