Case hearing halted as Court of Appeal shifts
The twin towers housing the appellate courts (the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal).
What you need to know:
- Once the two appellate courts finally shift to their new permanent homes, the judiciary will be saving over Shs6b that it has been spending on rent annually on the two courts.
Business at the Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court in Nakasero, Kampala, has been halted for this entire week to allow shifting of court files and property to its permanent and new premises near the constitutional square.
According to a statement released by the court’s registrar on April 8, the court will come up with new hearing dates for the affected cases that had been scheduled for hearing this week.
“Court of Appeal is undergoing the process of shifting to its new premises and therefore, organizing and packing of files is ongoing in preparation for the aforementioned program,” reads in part the statement of the registrar.
Adding: “This is, therefore, to inform all advocates and litigants that all matters which were fixed for conferencing this week from April 8-19, 24 shall not be heard as scheduled. Another date shall be communicated for the affected cases. We regret for the inconvenience caused.”
On February 9, President Museveni had been slated to officially open the twin towers that house the new home for the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal but the same function was called off as the head of state was indisposed.
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo said a new date would be communicated for Museveni to officially launch the new building that has given the Constitutional Square a new look.
However, it's coming to close to two months without a new date being set.
The 9-storey twin towers have a basement parking big enough to accommodate 226 vehicles at a go, customized courthouses, modern courtrooms, and chambers for justices, restaurants for judges and the other court staff, a gym where the judges will exercise after work to keep healthy, childcare centers, and a conference hall among other modern amenities.
Each twin tower has a conference hall that will accommodate up to 500 guests.
Once the two appellate courts finally shift to their new permanent homes, the judiciary will be saving over Shs6b that it has been spending on rent annually on the two courts.
