DIC JU IA E R H Y T U GAN DA Magazine Issue 03 | April - October, 2015 INSIDE: Judicial officers should retire with benefits- Museveni Meet the newly Hotlines to boost fight elevated Justices against corruption Judges pose with President Yoweri Museveni after a meeting at State House, Entebbe on September 2. NEW JUDICIARY COMMITTEES Judiciary Editorial Board What you need to know Dear colleagues and friends of the Judiciary, on June 11, 2015, the Hon. Chief Justice, Mr Bart Katureebe, inaugurated the Judiciary Editorial Board Committee. s chairperson thereof, I take this Our duties are to regularly plan, poor internal communication, a opportunity to introduce my review and approve the content of negative public mindset towards the Ateam which includes Mr. Gad- official positions of the Judiciary which Judiciary and many others. However, it enya Paul Wolimbwa (Chief Registrar), are intended for the public; enhance is our hope that with your concerted Mrs. Dorcas Okalany (Secretary to and sustain information sharing and effort, we can achieve what we have set the Judiciary), Mr. Eliasa Omar Kisawuzi communication within and outside the out to do. We keep our communication (Registrar/PRO), Ms. Jessica Chemeri Judiciary with the view to improving lines open for ideas and means on how (Senior Law Reporting Officer) and Mr. public trust and confidence in the to take our Judiciary to greater heights Solomon Muyita (Senior Communica- Judiciary; create general awareness and call on all of you not to take the tions Officer). about the courts in Uganda; oversee back seat. the branding of the Judiciary to improve DIC JU IA E R H Y T U Our mandate includes the enhancement its image and the production of The Together we can! GAN DA of effective administration of justice Judiciary Insider magazine and other by judicial officers and streamlining publications from time to time. Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe - Ssali information flow from the Judiciary High Court Judge/ to the public that we serve. We strive In pursuing these duties, we have Chairperson, Judiciary Editorial Board to maximise modern methods of challenges of inadequate resources, communication and social media to promote greater public understanding of the work of the Judiciary. We also have the task of educating the public about the law and systems within the Judiciary so as to empower them to effectively take up their role in the administration of justice. We are also tasked with rebranding the image of the Judiciary so that we stave off internal and external frauds. This will EDITORIAL BOARD (L-R): Solomon Muyita, Gadenya Paul Wolimbwa, ultimately improve the reputation and Justice Lydia Mugambe CJ - Bart Katureebe, PJ - Dr Yorokamu integrity of the Judiciary. Bamwine, Eliasa Omar Kisawuzi and Jessica Chemeri. 2 THE JUDICIARY INSIDER | April - October 2015 DIC JU IA E R H Y T U CONTENTS GAN DA DIC JU IA E R Besides the Editorial Board, the Chief Justice Hon. H Y T U GAN DA Bart Katureebe also inaugurated the following two Magazine Issue 03 | May - Oct, 2015 Committees: Bench Book Committee INSIDE: Judicial officers should retire Name Status with benefits- Museveni Meet the newly Hotlines to boost fight elevated Justices against corruption Justice John Wilson Supreme Court/Chair- Tsekooko person Justice Richard Buteera Court of Appeal/member Judge David Wangutusi Head of Commercial INSIDE... Court/member Frank Nigel Othembi Director Law Develop- 4 | Retire with your benefits - Museveni ment Centre 6 | Meet the newly elevated Justices Ruth Sebatindira President Uganda Law Society 12 | Updating procedural laws takes shape Festo Nsenga Assistant Registrar/ Com- 14 | Judiciary through the lens mittee Secretary. 16 | How the bomb trial has changed the High Court Bench Book Committee: It is tasked to review the Draft Civil Justice Bench Book to make it conform to the laws of 19 | Legal Aid Scheme in the offing Uganda; make recommendations for improving the draft; present the Book in an easy-to-read language and style; 20 | Judiciary hotlines to boost the fight against corruption and advise the Chief Justice on the most cost effective way of publishing and disseminating Bench Books, among 22 | First 100 days of Chief Justice Bart Katureebe other things. 24 | US Judge tips the Judiciary on appellate mediation Bar/Bench Committee Members 26 | The Administration of the Judiciary law Name Status 28 | The Judiciary will miss Roy Milton Byaruhanga Justice Fredrick Egonda Court of Appeal/Chair- Ntende person Justice Esther Kisaakye Supreme Court/Member EDITORIAL TEAM Justice Lawrence Gidudu High Court/member Mike Chibita Director of Public Prosecu- Solomon Muyita Snr Comms Officer/Editor tions/Member Sheila Wamboga Communications Officer/writer Paul Gadenya Chief Registrar/Member Peter Mugeni Design/Layout Representative of the Member Deo Akugizibwe Photography Attorney General Emmy Vincent Mugabo President Uganda Judicial Special Contributors Officers Association/ Member Paul Gadenya Chief Registrar Ebert Byenkya Uganda Law Society/ Dorcas W. Okalany Sec. to the Judiciary Member Eliasa Omar Kisawuzi Public Relations Officer Musa Kabega Uganda Law Society/ Member Jessica Chemeri Senior Law Reporting Officer Lillian Drabo Uganda Law Society/ Member Publisher Soogi Katende Uganda Law Society/ Member The committee is mandated to foster a good working relationship between the lawyers and judicial officers in Email: [email protected] the delivery of justice. THE JUDICIARY INSIDER | April - October 2015 3 Cover StorY Newly elevated Justices of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court after swearing-in at State House, Entebbe - October 23. Retire with your benefits - Museveni President Yoweri Museveni wants all judicial officers to retire with 100 per cent of their service benefits as a way of maintaining stability in their earnings in old age. he president, who has practice earn a lot, but all we need Responding to a presentation by the tagged the Judiciary as the to do for the judicial officers is to Chief Justice, Hon Bart M. Katureebe, T State’s “special operations maintain stability in their earnings on the transformation of the Judiciary wing” in two engagements has until the end. Ideally, they should not for National Development, President affirmed that government has ad- regret why they joined the bench,” Museveni cited Universal Primary equate resources to foot the bill. the president added. Education and Universal Secondary “Judges should retire at full pay Education that were initiated by and full facilities,” said Mr Musev- He decried the lack of continuous government following a steady tax eni. dialogue within the three arms of collection regime. government; the Executive, the He first made the remarks during his Legislature and the Judiciary. “We thought having these children September 2 special meeting with more in school was unavoidable. When than 60 judges, and then on October “We only talk about sharing tax collection improved from Shs2.8 23 during the swearing-in ceremony of resources which is not enough. billion in 1986 to Shs728 billion in the newly appointed Court of Appeal We must understand, what does 1997, we started UPE. The number and Supreme Court Justices. the State want to do? There’s of children in school jumped a weakness of harmony and from the initial Shs2.5million to “I know that lawyers in private orientation of strategy,” he said. Shs8.8million. 4 THE JUDICIARY INSIDER | April - October 2015 DIC JU IA E R H Y T U Cover StorY GAN DA The problem is that with policies country run by the United Nations,” would support the Shs36 billion five- and prioritization, the Judiciary is not he said, adding that peace is enabling year ICT strategic plan to roll out involved and that is why they don’t Uganda to get more money. a robust case management system get the logic and factors taken into providing for E-filing to reduce account,” he said. “I can speak authoritatively that we timelines and loss of files. have one institution that has given The President said with tax you exemplary service cheaply. It’s not The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, collection now at Shs12,000 billion a story, it’s not something I read in a commended President Museveni for annually, government has invested in book, I have it here on good record,” eliminating extra Judicial killings in the infrastructure development in the he said. country. He, however, pointed out education, health, roads and electricity that the Judiciary has rental arrears sectors. He urged the Judiciary to improvise of Shs3 billion and that the Supreme in line with housing for the courts and Court may be up for eviction if “Public service increased teachers proposed institutional housing for nothing is done urgently. from 80,000 to 160,000 with judicial service officers. increased classrooms. There was load Hon. Katureebe said with a 46 per shedding which has stopped. We were President Museveni said the cent growth in the budget from spending very little of our money Government was fully committed Shs63 billion in 2012/13 to Shs92 on infrastructure and depended on to providing vehicles for all judges billion in 2014/15, performance donors,” he said. and Magistrates in the country also improved by 49 per cent from and proposed that they establish 102,000 cases in 2010/11 to 152,000 The President said every years, a SACCO that government could cases disposed of in 2014/15. government now spends Shs3,000 facilitate. He said that the government billion on roads, Shs1,700 billion on would soon fund medical check-up Editor’s note: During the electricity and quite a bit on the army. for them in health facilities of their meeting, the Chief Justice unveiled his choice within the country. transformation plan for the Judiciary. President Museveni added that Details of this will be contained in our DIC JU IA E R H Y T U government has put more effort on President Museveni said government next issue of the Judiciary Insider.